By Matt Phelps
The Mercerwood Shore Club won the Midlakes championship meet for the second consecutive year. With a score of 1,724.50 points, the team dominated many events and took home the title with depth on Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
“We just had everyone step up this year and we have a lot of new swimmers,” said Mercerwood Shore Club head coach Alice Godfred, “and I am proud of everyone.”
This is the first time that the Shore Club has won back-to-back Midlakes’ championships. The impact of the feat was not lost on any swimmer who walked by the coaches table and saw the trophy during the meet.
“It is inspiration,” said Godfred.
Murray Longbotham had the best meet out of any Island swimmer, as he broke one individual Midlakes record and helped two relay teams to Midlakes records.
Longbotham’s first-place finish in the boys 13- and 14-year-old 100-yard freestyle came in a league-record time of 49.84. Longbotham, along with teammates Devon Morris, Kevin Goodwin and Kyle Schaeffer, broke the Midlakes’ record in the boys 13- and 14-year-old 200-yard medley relay with a winning time of 1:49.94. That same team took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:37.84 to set another league record.
Rachel Godfred capped off her amazing summer with two individual first-place finishes during the meet. Godfred took first in the girls 13- and 14-year-old 50-yard butterfly with a time of 27.17.
“I am just so proud of all my daughters ’cause they each have a club record,” said Alice Godfred.
Rachel Godfred also took first in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 1:01.97. Godfred’s season was such a landmark for the club that she set a record for setting club records, 13 to be exact, over the course of the season.
“It was fun to break something big like that,” said Godfred. “It is just fun to see my name up on the wall.”
Godfred said that one of the best things about the Midlakes championship meet was seeing the little kid’s faces as they walk into the King County Aquatic Center for the first time.
“I come to this pool a lot and I don’t think it is as big of a deal for the older swimmers,” said Godfred. “For the younger swimmers it is still a lot of fun.”
Mia Chasen helped the Shore Club cause with a win in the girls 8-and-under 25-yard butterfly (16.78) and Mike Goodwin (MSC) took first in the boys 9- and 10-year-old 25-yard butterfly (14.28).
Patrick Goodwin took first in the boys 15-and-over 50-yard butterfly for the Shore Club with a time of 24.00 seconds.
Alexandra Seidel took first in the girls 8-and-under 25-yard backstroke with a time of 17.80 seconds for the Shore Club.
Mercerwood’s Katie Schaeffer took first in the girls 15-and-over 500-yard freestyle (5:18.08).
Kyle Schaeffer took first in the boys 13- and 14-year-old 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00.11.
The girls 9- and 10-year-old 50-yard backstroke was won by Margot Sisson (MSC) with a time of 35.45 seconds and Morris took the 50-yard freestyle (23.80).
The Mercerwood Shore Club’s depth was no more apparent than during the girls and boys 12-and-under 500-yard freestyles. Although no Shore Club swimmer came in first, eight of the 32 swimmers that placed during the finals were from Mercerwood.
The Mercerwood Shore Club also took first in six separate relay events.
“The relays are always the most challenging because you have to make sure they all show up,” said Alice Godfred.
Mercer Island Country Club takes third
The Mercer Island Country Club continues its ascent towards the top of the Midlakes swim league with a third-place finish at the Midlakes championship meet. The Country Club scored 1,254.50 points to finish one place higher than last year.
“We were just trying to move up,” said Mercer Island Country Club swimming coach Chris Simpson. “We came in seeded sixth and we were trying to get fifth and got third. The kids did a great job.”
Just three years ago, during Simpson’s first year, the team finished 11th.
“We are continuing to get better with every meet,” said Simpson. “It has been a lot of fun this year.”
The Mercer Island Country Club earned the majority of its first-place points in sprints. Country Club swimmer Ethan Hallowell paced his team with two first-place finishes. Hallowell won the boys 12-and-under 100-yard freestyle (55.64) and the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.52).
Molly Brandabur took first in the girls 12-and-under 100-yard freestyle with a time of 59.21 seconds, while Jeff Benca took first in the boys 15-and-over 200-yard freestyle with time of 1:54.13.
Country Club swimmer Alex Hoff won the boys ages 13- and 14-year-old 50-yard backstroke with a time of 27.60 seconds.
Lauren Poli took first in the girls 12-and-under 50-yard breaststroke (31.98) and Michelle Lam took first in the 15-and-over girls 50-yard butterfly (27.45).
The Country Club had two first-place relay teams: the girls 12-and-under 200-yard medley relay and the boys 12-and-under 200-yard medley relay.
Complete finals’ results for the meet are posted on A10 and A11.
