Liberty Renton Edges Sammamish for Washington 2A State Title

by Luke Herman 0

November 30th, 2019 High School, News, Previews & Recaps

Washington 2A Girls’ High School State Championship

  • November 15-16, 2019
  • King County Aquatic Center
  • 2A (Schools with enrollment from 461-971)
  • Short course yards (SCY) format, Prelims/Finals
  • Results

Liberty Renton edged Sammamish by a narrow four points to claim the Washington Girls 2A (schools with enrollment ranging from 461-971 students) State Swimming and Diving title. This team victory comes after North Kitsap ended the Patriot’s 4-year run last season. 

Though Liberty Renton only saw victory in the 200 free relay, several top four finishes, as well as A-finalists in every event except for the 200 free and 100 breast, contributed to their team title. Keaton Canaday (200 IM/500 free), Salena Lam (50 free), Eleanor Bracht (1 meter), and Dominique Visperas (100 fly) all had top-four finishes.  

Team title runner-up Sammamish opened the meet with a dominant performance by swimmers Kayla Chenier, Milan Manfredi, Jillian Weber, and Katie Walz in the 200 medley relay, posting a 1:50.82 to win the event by over two seconds. Liberty’s quartet of Shaye Agnew, Lily Stempson, Dominique Visperas, and Savanna Taylor posted a 1:53.55 to narrowly finish in third behind Aberdeen (1:53.29).   

Steilacoom, La Center, and Sammamish all won at least two events, with La Center’s Hailey Grotte and Steilacoom’s Alejandra Ruppe being the only double-event champions. Grotte, a Washington State commit, claimed golds in both the 50 (23.69) and 100 free (51.54). While her 50 was a just off her lifetime best of 23.64, her 100 was her fastest to date. Sophomore Alejandra Ruppe won the 200 IM in 2:10.67, as well as the 100 back in 58.07. Ruppe finished tenth and eleventh respectively in 2018. 

Sammamish would end the meet with another dominating relay performance. With a lead-off from Walz that was almost three seconds faster than any other starting swimmer, Sammamish controlled the race wire-to-wire, finishing in 3:39.95. Liberty finished in second with a time of 3:43.19 to secure the team title. 

Other Event Winners 

  • North Kitsap’s Brianna Hoffman overtook Pullman’s Mya Reed during the final 50 to take the 200 free title in 1:57.78. 
  • Fife’s Taylor Bloedorn claimed her second consecutive 1 meter diving title. 
  • Cheney’s Janie Richards displayed a dominating victory in the 500, touching in 5:18.99, slightly slower than her prelims swim 
  • Aberdeen senior Annika Eisele handily won the 100 fly in 57.65, almost two seconds faster than runner-up Jillian Weber
  • La Center’s Bryanna Ungs ended Aberdeen’s Anna Weber two-year run in the 100 breast, claiming victory in 1:06.07 to Weber’s 1:06.12 

Top 5 Teams 

  1. Liberty (Renton) – 268     
  2. Sammamish – 264  
  3. Annacortes – 166  
  4. North Kitsap – 159  
  5. Aberdeen – 139  

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