Wildcats fall in finale, turn attention to postseason / Swimming

Although the Oak Harbor High School swim team won one more event than Stanwood, superior depth allowed the Spartans to pull out a 97-73 win in the regular season finale at John Vanderzicht Pool Monday, Jan. 23.

Now, it is on to the postseason for the Wildcats.

First up is the “last chance meet” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. This meet gives Wesco North junior varsity swimmers a final opportunity to earn district qualifying times.

Oak Harbor coach Amy Merkley said she is confident a number of her swimmers will pick up qualifying marks in the meet or earn “wildcat” slots.

If 24 swimmers for each event have not earned district qualifying times, the remainder of the field is filled with the next best, or wildcat, times.

The district meet is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, at the Snohomish Aquatic Center.

The top three finishers in each district event earn berths in the state meet, which is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18, at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Several Oak Harbor swimmers are on the cusp of qualifying for state, according to coach Amy Merkley. The best bets, she said, are Enrique Perez in the 200 freestyle and Bruce Vagt in the 500 free.

“I think we will definitely get some swimmers in the district finals,” she said.

In the Stanwood meet, Oak Harbor won six of the 11 events, but the Spartans captured six seconds, eight thirds and nine fourths to overcome the Wildcats’ advantage up front.

It was also Senior Night for Oak Harbor, and Jose Cabigting (co-captain), Kelvin Canonizado, Andrew Franssen, Alex Hartley, Kelly Holt, Kenneth Morrow (co-captain), Perez (exchange student and “honorary senior”), Erica Sugatan (manager) and Kurtis Zylstra were honored during the meet.

This year’s squad, according to Merkley, has a “great sense of team,” which has been fostered by the senior leadership and “a good group of parents.”

“One thing I noticed from the beginning,” she said, “is the bond they have. They have a lot of fun, enjoy being together and support one another.”

Perez (200-meter individual medley, 2:30.05; 100 butterfly, 1:09.75) and Vagt (200 free, 2:13.17; 400 free, 4:54.92) each won two individual events against Stanwood, and they teamed with Morrow and Franssen to take the 200 medley relay (2:04.32).

Morrow, who is moving to Florida and will miss the postseason, won the 100 breaststroke (1:17.49).

Other Oak Harbor results versus Stanwood:

Second: Aaron Martinez, 200 free, 2:20.67; Micah Franklin, 100 backstroke, 1:17.8; Morrow, 50 free, 27.87; 200 free relay (Perez, Morrow, Franssen, Cabigting), 1:57.81; 400 free relay (Vagt, Franklin, Garrett Karney, Cabigting), 4:35.39.

Third, Cabigting, 200 IM, 2:46.98; Franssen, 50 free, 28.54; Franklin, 100 fly, 1:10.42.

Fourth: Franssen, 100 free, 1:05.45; 200 free relay (Martinez, Cameron See, Eric Closson, Zylstra), 2:08.81.

Fifth: Martinez, 100 free, 1:12.29; Karney, 400 free, 6:04.2; Matt Kolden, 100 back, 1:37.13; Cabigting, 100 breast, 1:25.51; 200 medley relay (Franklin, Closson, Hartley, Karney), 2:25.79; 400 free relay (Martinez, Hartley, See, Kolden), 5:41.38.

Sixth: Karney, 200 free, 2:42.74; Pablo Closson, 200 IM, 3:28.22; Eric Closson, 50 free, 31.42; 100 breast, 1:39.17; Hartley, 100 free, 1:21.17; See, 100 back, 1:59.56; 200 free relay (Kolden, Holt, Hartley, Canonizado), 2:21.41.