Swimmers crush Cascade, finish regular season undefeated

The Oak Harbor girls’ swim and dive team dunked its coach in the pool after Wednesday’s win to put an exclamation point on an undefeated regular season.

Coach Erika Miller received her ceremonial bath after the Wildcats defeated Cascade 137-48 at John Vanderzicht Pool to finish the regular season with a 13-0-1 record and the top spot in the Wesco North dual-meet standings.

Miller did not know if this was Oak Harbor’s first undefeated season in girls’ swimming, but said, “It’s the first in the last nine years.”

Miller said when the season started she knew the team “had the possibility” to go undefeated. “They had the talent. Amazing talent. I’m very happy for the team.”

The only blemish on the Wildcats’ record was an 88-88 tie with Kamiak early in the season. Oak Harbor won the swimming portion of the meet, but Kamiak received all of the diving points. At that point in the season, Oak Harbor’s divers did not have enough practices to be eligible to compete. Once eligible, the ‘Cat divers have scored in every meet.

Oak Harbor also bashed host Bellingham 136-48 Tuesday in a nonleague meet.

Next up for the Wildcats is the district meet Nov. 4-7 at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

In the win over Cascade, Therese Desquitado led the way with two individual wins (200 free, 2:31.36; 100 free, 1:07.24) and a relay victory.

Ciara Hu (200 IM, 2:36.27), Karina Concepcion (50 free, 29.55), Laura Rosen (400 free, 4:49.44), Akasha Trisler (100 back, 1:11.32), and Tori Nickerson (100 breast, 1:26.17) all grabbed a first and swam on two winning relay teams.

The winning relay teams: 200 medley (Trisler, Nickerson, Hu, Rosen), 2:16:03; 200 free (Concepcion, Nickerson, Trisler, Rosen), 2:00.65; 400 free (Concepcion, Desquitado, Hu, Rachel Mueller), 4:41.11.

Abby Rankin won the 1-meter diving event with 139.05 points.

Other top three finishes for Oak Harbor:

200 IM relay: 3. Lily Doyle, Cassie Stanford, Mueller, Dianne Dahl, 2:32.84.

200 free: 2. Doyle, 2:37.31; 3. Janika Bianco, 2:48.27.

200 IM: 2. Stanford, 3:02.11; 3. Mueller, 3:02.42.

50 free: 2. Nickerson, 30.22.

Diving: 2. Kira Homola, 130.2; 3. Sammy Lewellen, 120.6.

100 butterfly: 2. Rosen, 1:08.32; 3. Trisler, 1:09.97.

100 free: 2. McKenna Yockey, 1:10.71.

400 free: 2. Hu, 4:58.72.

200 free relay: 2. Rankin, Desquitado, Bianko, Mueller, 2:10.74.

100 backstroke: 3. Concepcion, 1:14.17.

100 breaststroke: 2. Yockey, 1:30.8; 3. Bianco, 1:31.94.

400 free relay: 3. Bianco, Yockey, Stanford, Doyle, 4:52.28.

Oak Harbor 136, Bellingham 48

200 medley relay: 1. Trisler, Hu, Rosen, Nickerson, 2:05.78; 3. Doyle, Mueller, Yockey, Bianco, 2:20.45.

200 free: 1. Rosen, 2:12.83; 2. Yockey, 2:26.6.

200 IM: 1. Hu, 2:17.97; 2. Doyle, 2:37.98.

50 free: 1. Desquitado, 27.34; 3. Nickerson, 27.51.

Diving: 1. Rankin, 126.64; 3. Lewellen, 105.35.

100 butterfly: Trisler, 1:03.39; 2. Stanford, 1:12.45.

100 free: 1. Concepcion, 1:00.56; 2. Desquitado, 1:02.39.

500 free: 1. Hu, 5:37.46; 2. Rosen, 5:37.65; 3. Mueller, 6:48.83.

200 free relay: 1. Oak Harbor (names not given), 1:52.44; 3. Oak Harbor (names not given), 2:26.51.

100 backstroke: 1. Trisler, 1:07.09; 2. Concepcion, 1:09.32; 3. Doyle, 1:13.41.

100 breaststroke: 1. Nickerson, 1:19.62; 2. Stanford, 1:20.26; 3. Yockey, 1:22.62.

400 free relay: 1. Oak Harbor (names not given), 4:22.34; 2. Oak Harbor (names not given), 4:40.78.