Pape qualifies for finals at Senior Championships | NWAC

Published 9:19 am Monday, July 25, 2016

Jillian Pape of the North Whidbey Aquatic Club clocked five personal bests in six events at the Pacific Northwest Senior Long Course Championships July 21-23 in Federal Way.

One of those personal records helped Pape, 16, qualify for her first-ever final at the PNS Championships. She clipped almost nine seconds off her PR in the 200-meter butterfly, posting a 2:32.82, to reach the “C” finals with the 24th-best time in the preliminaries.

In the “C” final, she “sprinted to the front,” according to coach Dick Taylor, and finished second (and 18th overall) by a 10th of a second to the top seed, leaping past five swimmers with better qualifying times. She also cut more than two seconds from her preliminary swim, finishing with a personal record 2:29.69.

Pape was the lone Blue Heron to compete in Senior Championships. Eight NWAC swimmers have qualified for the Age Group Championships this weekend in Federal Way.