Mercer Island boys win SeaKing district title | Boys prep swimming

For the second straight year, the Mercer Island boys swim team won the SeaKing district title, finishing ahead of second-place Lakeside.

The Islanders won with a 290.5 score, while Lakeside finished with a 258.5 overall.

Mercer Island won three events, the 200-medley relay at the beginning of the meet, the 100 butterfly and the 100 breast stroke.

In the first event of the night at Mary Wayte Pool, the Islanders’ combo of Andy Wingerson, Jimmy Deiparine, Dan Simons and Marco Signorelli won with a 1:38.45 time. In the 100 butterfly event, Kyle Moline tied for first place with Lakeside’s Sean Ekavithvorakul, with a 53.09 time. Deiparine won the team’s third event in the 100 breast stroke with a 1:01.29 time.

Last season Mercer Island beat Lakeside in the district meet, 345.5 to 176.

Mercer Island’s Eric Benca was ninth in the 200 freestyle, while Kyle Moline was 10th; Wingerson was third in the 200 individual medley, while Deiparine was fourth and Samuel Chong was fifth, followed by Duncan Kootnz in sixth place. In the 50 freestyle race, Signorelli was second, Simons was ninth and Brandt Waesche took 12th. Cody Hall finished third in the diving competition, and teammate Connor Nielson was sixth.

Simons also earned a sixth-place finish in the 100 butterfly event, followed by Quinn Markwith in seventh place. Signorelli earned a seventh-place time in the 100 freestyle, while Koontz was 10th in the 500 freestyle race. Wingerson earned a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke, while Ian Piper was fifth, and Ralph Austin was 12th. Chong earned a third-place finish in the 100 breast stroke race, while Evan Moline was fifth. The Islanders were third in the 400 freestyle relay, a team that included Kyle Moline, Deiparine, Benca and Wingerson.

Mercer Island resident and Eastside Catholic senior Ethan Hallowell won the 200-yard freestyle event, setting a new meet record with a time of 1:39.28. The previous record was set by Ross Buffington in 2000 with a time of 1:41.04. Hallowell also won the 100-yard freestyle race, setting another record with his 44.73 time.

Island resident and Lakeside senior Henry Fox was third in the 50 freestyle race and fourth in the 100 freestyle.

The Islanders will go to the state meet next weekend. The 3A finals will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the King County Aquatic Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Reporter Megan Managan at mmanagan@mi-reporter.com or (206) 232-1215 ext. 5054.

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