The Midlakes swim season commenced this week with two Island clubs pitted against each other.
The Mercer Island Beach Club hosted the Mercerwood Shore Club team on Thursday, and the visitors came away with a 408.5-299.5 victory.
The win extends the Shore Club’s unbeaten streak into its fifth consecutive season.
But the score shows how the gulf between all three Island teams will tighten this season.
“We lost a lot of older swimmers, so it will be much tougher this year,” said Alice Godfred, the coach of the three-time defending Midlakes champion, Shore Club. “We have a pretty good rivalry with the Beach Club. We respect both clubs on the Island and they are all good people, so it is fun.”
The biggest cheers of the evening came during the coaches’ relay swim as the Mercer Island Beach Club won the exhibition event.
“It felt good to get in the pool, and it is a fun thing to do for the kids,” said Erin Garcia, who is a coach for the Beach Club. “People have been excited and talking a lot about this meet. The Shore Club is an amazing team.”
Records were also set during the meet. The MSC relay team of Jennifer Pak, Flora Muglia, Grace Wold and Rachel Godfred broke the Midlakes record for the girls 15-and-over 200-yard freestyle relay held by Fairwood, in a time of 1:42.28, a half second faster than the record from 2003. Numerous other club records were set.
The buzz around the pool had to do with the pool itself, which was improved two years ago; the weather for the meet; and the backdrop of Lake Washington at the Beach Club.
“We love this pool since it was redone,” said Garcia. “It is fun to make this the perfect meet.”
The swimmers tried to make the meet perfect as kids from 6 years old all the way to high school age swam for their respective clubs.
“This is more of a secondary sport for me,” said Quinn Chasan, who runs cross country for Mercer Island High School. “But it is fun to see all the little kids out here. You never want to lose, especially to an Island rival.”
The rivalry between the clubs was alive and well despite the obvious inter-club friendships around the pool.
“I know a lot of people on the Shore Club,” said Quinn Markwith. “It just makes it all the more exciting.”
The Mercer Island Country Club lost to Newport Hills 383-316 Thursday.
Complete results from the meet between the Shore Club and the Beach Club can be found on page A11.
