At the Kamiak Age Group Invitational Swim Meet at Kamiak High School Feb. 27 and 28, North Whidbey Aquatic Club swimmers all earned first-time qualifying times for the Northwest Region Age Group Sectional (AGS) Championships in Federal Way, March 19-21, a meet drawing the fastest 5 percent of swimmers from six western states.
Ethan Tack led the NWAC pack of qualifiers with cuts in the boys’ 10-and-under 100 back (1:17.53), 50 fly (35.19), 200 individual medley (2:48.68) and 100 fly (1:20.09).
Cullen Wood, also competing in the boys’ 10-and-under division, qualified in the 100 back (1:18.33) and the 50 fly (35.14).
Molly Vagt notched a qualifying time in the girls’ 11-12 100 fly (1:12.64).
Adding to their existing list of AGS qualifying swims were Emily Huffer, Jacob Jepsen, Olivia Tungate and Josh Jepsen.
Huffer added a win in the girls’ 13-14 200 backstroke, touching in at 2:12.22 to break the team record.
Other Aquajet event winners were Kelly Huffer in the girls’ 10-and-under 100 fly (1:12.84); Price Hu in the boys’ 15-and-over 200 fly (1:57.10); Josh Jepsen in the boys’ 13-14 100 fly (57.78), 200 fly (2:07.87) and 200 breast (2:22.79); and Laura Rosen in the girls’ 13-14 200 fly (2:09.34).
Two Aquajets, Joey Jepsen and Ethan Tack, added new qualifying times for the Pacific Northwest Swimming Championships meet in Federal Way in July. This meet includes the fastest 10 percent of competitive swimmers in western Washington. Jepsen made the cut in the boys’ 11-year-old 100 back (1:17.68) and Tack in the boys’ 10-and-under 100 back (1:17.53).
Making 100 percent PR’s were Jacob Jepsen, Joey Jepsen, Marissa Morris, Ethan Tack, Yasmin Tijerina and Cullen Wood.
Ethan Tack and Jacob Jepsen shared NWAC Swimmer of the Meet honors. Each swam 100 percent PR’s, made multiple AGS cuts and demonstrated aggressive racing while finishing their races strongly.
Tack dropped an average of three seconds per 100 yards of racing while Jepsen cut off a second per 100 yards, both significant improvements.
NWAC next competes at the March Madness Meet in Bremerton this weekend, where it will field a team of 36 athletes.
