Mercer Island High School’s boys swim team won the 44-team Kentridge Invitational on Jan. 7 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
A plethora of athletes scored points for the Islanders, who amassed 639 points; second-place Bellevue notched 512 points.
In the 200-yard medley relay, Evan Liu, Emmett Ralston, Matthew Shield and Colin Carmichael took first in 1:34.15 (fourth in school history, All-American consideration time, Kentridge Invitational Record). The team of Jack Sieckhaus, Ilan Gallott, Nolan Knievel and Coy Hounsell placed eighth in 1:40.94.
In the 200-yard freestyle, Matt Williamson took first with a state-qualifying time of 1:41.38. Sixth-placer Jamie Feinstein had a state-qualifying time of 1:47.82 (39th place in school history).
Ralston, Hounsell, Williamson and Ron Rastorguev teamed up to place first in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:27.24 (10th place in school history).
The 400-yard freestyle relay squad of Evan Liu, Shield, Williamson and Colin Carmichael won the event in 3:05.82 (new school record, All-American consideration, Kentridge Invitational Record).
50-yard freestyle highlights: second place, Evan Liu, state-qualifying time of 21.45 (12th place in school history); fourth, Shield, state-qualifying time of 21.57; fifth, Colin Carmichael, state-qualifying time of 21.74 (18th place in school history); eighth, Hounsell, state-qualifying time of 21.89 (23rd place in school history); Ralston, relay leadoff state-qualifying time of 21.27 (seventh place in school history); and lifetime best times: Knievel (23.72), Andrew Liu (24.16), Ian Carmichael (24.67) and Steven Gao (25.30).
100-yard butterfly results: seventh, Colin Carmichael, state-qualifying time of 52.29; ninth, Sieckhaus, state-qualifying time of 52.86 (17th place in school history); and lifetime best time: David Garton (57.40).
100-yard freestyle highlights: second, Shield, state-qualifying time of 46.90; third, Williamson, state-qualifying time of 46.94 (14th place in school history); sixth, Hounsell, state-qualifying time of 48.41 (33rd place in school history); and Evan Liu, relay leadoff state-qualifying time of 46.75 (13th place in school history).
In the 100-yard backstroke, Evan Liu took second with a state-qualifying time of 52.23 (eighth place in school history); Sieckhaus took sixth with a state-qualifying time of 53.46 (18th place in school history); and Rastorguev had a lifetime best time (58.98).
In the 100-yard breaststroke, second-placer Ralston had a state-qualifying time of 57.89; and lifetime best swims: Gallott (1:05.73) and Andrew Liu (1:07.02).
Feinstein took eighth in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:54.74 (36th place in school history).
Rastorguev took 13th in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:04.97.
At press time, head coach Craig Nisgor noted that 32 Islanders have qualified for the KingCo championships, 21 have achieved district-qualifying times and they have eight state qualifiers with 19 state-qualifying times.
In league action at press time, the swim and dive team sports a 2-1 dual meet mark with triumphs over Liberty (116-69) and Interlake (136-44) and a loss to Newport (105-81).
