Girls swimming begins another season with coaches and swimmers looking to a full dual meet schedule thanks to reorganization of the South Puget Sound leagues.
The renamed SPSL Northeast — formerly the SPSL North — includes Kent-Meridian, Kentlake, Kentridge, Kentwood, and Tahoma, while the Northwest division includes Decatur, Federal Way, Mount Rainier, Thomas Jefferson and Todd Beamer.
Dual meets start Sept. 16 with Kentwood at TJ, Todd Beamer at Kentlake, and Tahoma at Mount Rainier.
Sharon Wright, Kentwood girls coach, said that she expects Tahoma and Mount Rainier to be strong teams this year and that she expects Kentridge to have a lot of girls on their team. She added that she considers new additions Decatur and Todd Beamer to be the wild cards this season.
Dave Wright, Tahoma’s coach, said the increased number of league meets and the addition of more Federal Way schools means that the Bears non-league schedule will be impacted.
“After quite a few years of having only five meets I had to figure out which meets I want to attend and which ones have to be left off the schedule,” Wright wrote in an email.
KENTWOOD
The Conquerors are a young team this year, with just four seniors on the team. Sharon Wright returns for her seventh year leading the squad and will be assisted by Dane Turnbull, who graduated from Kentwood in June.
Wright said the team will focus this year on each swimmer improving individually.
“I want you to swim smarter,” Wright told her swimmers at practice last week.
Key returners:
Hannah Lesnick, a sophomore whose primary events are the 200 and 500 Freestyle. She is also strong in the 100 Butterfly. Wright said that Lesnick has, “gotten super fast over the year.”
Avery Freany, also a sophomore, whose specialty is sprint Freestyle, namely the 50 and 100.
Heather Mooney, a junior whose main events are the 100 Breaststroke and sprint Freestyle.
Alana Akiyama, a senior who focuses on the Freestyle events and Breaststroke.
Sabrina Maloy, a senior who took last season off from swimming, and whom Sharon Wright expects to be a keep contributor in Freestyle events.
Lindsey Nelson, a senior that Wright said is a key leader on the team.
Kentwood’s one diver, Kelaia Linse, is a senior in her second year as a diver.
Key newcomers:
Freshmen Chiyo Miyake, Abbey Quintos and Gabriel Rizzo.
TAHOMA
Tahoma is looking toward its meets with Mount Rainier and Kentlake as being the toughest it will likely face this season.
Key returners:
Seniors: Mackenzie Dress, Austin Hanger, Michelle Johnson, Hailie Mazick and Jessica Miller. Juniors: Hannah Adam, Brooke Bailey, Nicole McCarthy and Sara Wilton. Sophomores: Olivia Halbert, Lindsey Hanger and Ashley Lewis.
Lindsey Hanger and Miller have both previously qualified for the state championship meet.
Key newcomers:
Juniors: Avery Adam and Hannah Gormley. Sophomore Bryne Adams and sophomore Shauna Monahan. Freshmen Bridget Duven and Amy Gill.
KENTLAKE
Kentlake will be looking to defend their league championship title this season after finishing last year 5-0. Coach Brad Williams is back for his second year with the team. Information on the Falcons key returners and key newcomers was not available as of press time.
