Godfred sets two meet records in victory, districts at UW pool
By Matt Phelps
Mercer Island Reporter
The Mercer Island girls swim team won the 2007 3A KingCo swim meet in dominating fashion Saturday by scoring 354 points. Bellevue trailed the Islanders in a distant second place with 223, while Newport finished third with 208.
“We had a number of kids swim really well,” said Mercer Island swim coach Jeff Lowell. “The meet itself is another step in the direction they want to move. The postseason is a three-step process.”
The first step has been a relatively easy one for the Islanders as they have won the KingCo meet every year since its inception in 2002. But the hope this year is that the Islanders can do the same at step two and three. The 3A KingCo meet gave the team more momentum toward that goal.
One Islander showing that she is ready to make her mark at state is Rachel Godfred. The junior “Ironman” won both of her races at KingCo with meet-record times. Godfred swam the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 25.09 and the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:10.58. Jennifer Pak and Mary Zajak both had good swims in the 50-free, finishing in the top five.
“Mary was just a tenth of a second off a state time in that event,” said Lowell. “She is really close.”
Islander Olivia Graham won the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.45) and helped the team of Godfred, Lauren Poli and Hannah Bliss to win the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:43.66). Poli, Olivia Boeck, Godfred and Melissa Chandless teamed up to take first in the 200-yard medley relay (1:53.26), and Olivia Graham, Bliss, Pak and Chandless won the 400-yard freestyle in a time of 3:34.00.
While Bliss was a big contributor to the relays, she also earned district times in two off events, the 200-freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.
“Those two events aren’t even her best events, and she earned district times,” said Lowell. “She had a really good meet.”
The Islanders will now gear up for the second step, the district meet at Hec Ed pool on the University of Washington campus on Friday and Saturday starting at 5 p.m. on both days. All of the top 16 placing Mercer Island times for the 3A KingCo meet are posted at right.
