State champ Mercer Island topples Wildcats | Swimming

Oak Harbor High School has earned the reputation as one of the strongest swimming programs in the Western Conference. Mercer Island, however, is the best in the state, and it showed Saturday, Sept. 28, as the visiting Islanders whipped the Wildcats 144-39.

By Jim Waller • September 30, 2013 1:48 pm
Oak Harbor's Erica Sugatan prepares to surface at the start of the 100 backstroke Saturday.
Oak Harbor's Erica Sugatan prepares to surface at the start of the 100 backstroke Saturday.

Oak Harbor High School has earned the reputation as one of the strongest swimming programs in the Western Conference. Mercer Island, however, is the best in the state, and it showed Saturday, Sept. 28, as the visiting Islanders whipped the Wildcats 144-39.

Mercer Island grabbed the past four state 3A titles under head coach Chauntelle Johnson, a 2001 Oak Harbor graduate.  Johnson brought her team to Whidbey for the weekend and a team-bonding exercise, which included a hike at Deception Pass and the meet with the Wildcats.

Mercer Island finished 1-2 in nine of the 12 events and won 10. Oak Harbor picked up is two wins from sophomore Marissa Morris who won the 200 free (2:16.21) and 400 free (4:44.2). The 400 was the day’s most exciting race as Morris and MI’s Caitlin Cox matched strokes throughout until Morris nipped Cox by .25 seconds at the finish.

Oak Harbor was hurt by the absence of Mollie Briddell to a prior commitment; Briddell has won two events in each dual meet this season as well as swimming on a pair of relays.

Irysh Concepcion collected the Wildcats’ only second place, swimming the 50 free in 30.23.

Oak Harbor (3-2) gets back into league action when it hosts Snohomish (1-3) and Glacier Peak (2-2) at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30.

Other Oak Harbor results versus Mercer Island:

Third: 200 medley relay, Eric Sugatan, Sydney Dickinson, Tricia Desquitado, Concepcion, 2:26.16.

Fourth: Sugatan, 200 IM, 2:47.32; 100 back, 1:18.25; Sophia Dickinson, 50 free, 33.9; Desquitado, 100 fly, 1:18.23; Concepcion, 100 free, 1:08.04; Nicole Vogt, 400 free, 5:36.37; Sydney Dickinson, 100 breast, 1:31.88; 200 medley relay, Kennedy Trisler, Mariel Empinado, Sophia Dickinson, Morris, 2:30.15; 200 free relay, Vogt, Sophia Dickinson, Desquitado, Concepcion, 2:12.48; 400 free relay, Sugatan, Empinado, Trisler, Morris, 4:45.11.

Fifth: Vogt, 200 free, 2:36.97; Desquitado, 200 IM, 2:55.03; Sophia Dickinson, 100 fly, 1:21.73; Empinado, 100 free, 1:14.83; Danae Nash, 400 free, 5:50.49; Trisler, 100 back, 1:22.95; Brianna Koorn, 100 breast, 2:13.82; 200 medley relay, Zena Husler, Elizabeth Brooks, Alli Hoffmire, Leah Lukban, 3:13.93; 200 free relay, Brooks, Empinado, Sydney Dickinson, Nash, 2:27.98; 400 free relay, Nash, Husler, Brooks, Vogt, 5:48.07.