Oak Harbor sets three records, earns four state berths / Swim and dive

Published 1:30 am Monday, November 7, 2016

Four Oak Harbor High School swimmers qualified for the state meet, setting several records along the way, as the Wildcats finished fourth in the district meet at the Snohomish Aquatic Center Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5.

The top four in each event earned berths in the state meet, which is Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12, at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Juniors Olivia Tungate, Taliah Black and Jillian Pape and senior Molly Vagt will represent Oak Harbor in the state meet.

The four set a new district and school record while winning the 200-yard medley relay Saturday, taking the event in 1:51.31. That topped the old district mark of 1:52.64 set by Anacortes in 2000 and destroyed the former school standard of 1:54.64 established by Kyla Meuer, Amanda Birr, Shelley Cook and Chauntelle Johnson set in 2000.

Tungate also shattered the school 100 backstroke record with a first-place time of 58.71. Missy McIntyre clocked a 1:01.06 for OHHS in 2003.

Tungate, Black, Pape and Vagt were the district 200-freestyle relay winners as well (1:41.76).

Pape added a first in the 50 free (24.62) and a third in the 100 butterfly (1:00.38).

Vagt was second in the 500 free (5:16.32) and third in the 200 free (1:57.75).

Tungate added a third in the 100 free (54.01), and Black was sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.45).

Erica Sugatan placed eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:29.14) and ninth in the 100 fly (1:07.39).

Kelly Gruenwald was ninth in diving (263.95), Frances Empinado was 14th in the 100 back (1:11.39) and Maya Krantz took 16th in the 100 breaststroke (1:21).

Black, Sugatan, Naomi Garcia and Baelee Whitinger finished seventh in the 400 free relay (4:05.59).

Whitinger (18th, 200 free, 2:24.18; 21st, 100 free, 1:03.64), Garcia (20th, 200 IM, 2:41.03; 25th, 100 free, 1:04.88), Angele Dennen (24th, 200 IM, 3:06.67) and Grace Chargualaf (23rd, 100 fly, 1:21.53) also qualified for district but did not reach the finals (top 16).

“The team was really enthusiastic and everyone swam great, showing lots of effort,” first-year coach Jenny Butler said.

Squalicum won the team title, edging Shorecrest 320-314. Snohomish nipped Oak Harbor for third, 263-255, in the 13-team meet.