NWAC grabs 9th at PNS championships

The North Whidbey Aquatic Club placed ninth out of 38 teams at the Pacific Northwest Swimming championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way Dec. 10 to 12.

The North Whidbey Aquatic Club placed ninth out of 38 teams at the Pacific Northwest Swimming championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way Dec. 10 to 12.

The King Aquatic Club of Federal Way won the meet with 3,453 points. NWAC scored 580 to secure its third consecutive top-10 placing.

Ethan Tack (boys 9-10) snared NWAC’s only firsts with wins in the 100 fly (1:09.69) and 100 individual medley (1:11.96). He was also second in the in 50 fly (30.47), 200 IM (2:29.98) and 500 free (6:12.37) and third in the 100 back (1:11.59).

Olivia Tungate (girls 9-10) grabbed second in the 100 fly (1:12.62) and third in the 500 free (6:11.82).

In the girls 11-12 division, Kelly Huffer was third in the 200 backstroke (2:22.08), and Marissa Morris finished third in the 500 (5:35.87) and 1,650 (18:48.61) free.

Others who scored (finished in the top 16) in individual events were Joey Jepsen, Michael Johnson, Emily Huffer, Taliah Black, Jillian Pape, Molly Vagt and Cullen Wood.

Relay points came from (girls 10-and-under) Tungate, Black, Pape and Samantha Hines; (boys 10-and-under) Tack, Wood, Jerrin Concepcion and Lucas Tack; (girls 11-12) Morris, Kelly Huffer, Vagt and Ella Schroeder; and (girls 13-14) Emily Huffer, Lauren Vagt, Emily Schroeder and Nicole Vogt.

The NWAC received 100 percent personal records from Johnson in the finals; Kelly Huffer, Morris and Emily Schroeder in the preliminaries; and Concepcion, Kelly Huffer, Johnson, Morris, Emily Schroeder, Lauren Vagt, Vogt and Hines in relays.

Age Group Sectional qualifiers were Black, Kelly Huffer, Morris, Molly Vagt and Wood.

Emily Huffer qualified for the Western Zone Championships.

Team records were recorded by Emily Huffer (girls 13-14 100 back, 59.66), Ethan Tack (boys 9-10 100 fly, 1:09.69; 100 IM, 1:11.96; 200 IM, 2:29.98; and 50 fly, 30:47); Wood (boys 9-10 50 back, 33.58); and the girls 9-10 200 free relay of Tungate, Black, Pape and Hines (2:12.02).

Morris earned NWAC Swimmer of the Meet honors by setting PRs in all six prelims and all four relays and in two of three finals. She also hit AGS cuts in the 200 free (2:09.47) and 200 fly (2:31.77) and had a 32-second drop in the 1,650 (18:48.61).

NWAC next competes Dec. 17 to 19 at the Washington State Senior Championships in Federal Way, where it will field a team of 13 competitors.

The North Whidbey Aquatic Club is a competitive swimming program of the North Whidbey Park and Recreation District. It includes swimmers of all abilities and ages from 6 through college.

Tryouts occur Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at the city pool from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. New swimmers should be able to swim a length of the pool in freestyle and backstroke.

The first two weeks are free.

For more information, please call the pool (765-7665) to speak with head coach Neil Romney or view the team’s website at www.teamunify.com/pnswznwac.