Strong relay performances by the North Whidbey Aquatic Club highlighted the efforts of the Blue Herons at the Northwest Regional Swimming Championships March 10-13 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

The meet attracted 72 teams from Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon.

The NWAC’s girls 10 and under 200-yard medley relay of Lea Opdyke (backstroke), Lindsay Brown (breaststroke), Alana Miller (butterfly) and Kiersten Tyson (freestyle) placed fifth in 2:16.63, trimming five seconds off their club record.

The quartet also nabbed seventh in the 200 freestyle relay in another NWAC record, 2:01.81. Opdyke (29.96) and Tyson (29.99) both broke the 30 second barrier in their splits.

The four were named NWAC Co-swimmers of the Meet by coach Richard Taylor.

In individual events, Miller placed fifth in the 50 fly (31.67) and sixth in the 100 fly (1:10.86). She also clocked personal bests in the 50 free (30.51) and 100 free (1:05.55).

Brown took seventh in the 200 individual medley (2:36.68) and PR’d in the 100 breast (1:22.72).

Ashleigh Merrill, 12, dropped 23 seconds in the 1,650 free (19:16.72) to place sixth and swam 27.04 in the prelims of the 50 free.