The Oak Harbor High School swim and dive team met a state qualifying time in the first event of the year as it stung Snohomish and Glacier Peak in the season opener Dec. 1 at John Vanderzicht Pool.
The Wildcats defeated Snohomish 124-60 and Glacier Peak 147-29. Snohomish topped GP 113-55.
The Oak Harbor quartet of Jacob Jepsen, Josh Jepsen, Brandon Vagt and Ben Cardinal began the meet by winning the 200-meter medley relay in a state time of 1:57.04.
Jacob Jepsen added two more state marks by winning the 200 IM in 2:18.43 and finishing second in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.82.
Coupeville’s Cole Weinstein, who trains with Oak Harbor, met a pair of 2A state qualifying marks by finishing third in the 200 IM in 2:26.78 and winning the 400 free in 4:34.93. Coupeville’s Konrad Borden was fifth in the 100 free in 1:17.11.
Oak Harbor captured six other firsts: Josh Jepsen, 200 free, 2:08.39, and 100 breaststroke, 1:12.02; Cardinal, 50 free, 27.79; Kevin Levy, 100 free, 1:03.4; 200 free relay, Cardinal, Vagt, Caley Powers, Price Hu, 1:54.36; and 400 free relay, Jacob Jepsen, Hu, Jarik Bainco, Josh Jepson, 4:00.37.
Oak Harbor coach Amy Nurvic said, “It was great to start the year with state times. We also had a bunch of district times as well.”
The Wildcats, one of the top teams in Wesco, will now see how they stack up with the state’s best. Mercer Island, which crushed everyone in last year’s state meet, comes to town Saturday, Dec. 4, at 10:15 a.m. for a nonconference meet.
Other top-five finishes for Oak Harbor:
Seconds: Hu, 200 IM, 2:25.3, 100 butterfly, 1:03.73; Jaxon Wolfe, 50 free, 30.03; John Kaltenbach, diving, 105.4, 100 free, 1:06.32; 200 free relay, Brett Vagt, Levy, Ryan Cuajunco, Bainco, 2:00.8.
Thirds: Devin Schell, 200 free, 2:14.16; Matt Reith, diving, 93.1; Brandon Vagt, 100 butterfly, 1:06.39; Bainco, 400 free, 4:54.1; Brett Vagt, 100 backstroke, 1:13.86; 200 medley relay, Brett Vagt, Bainco, Powers, Wolfe, 2:10.45; 200 free relay, Wolfe, Judd Ford, Tucker Lundstrom, Schell, 2:05.37.
Fourths: Powers, 200 free, 2:22.28; Ford, 100 free, 1:14.58; Schell, 400 free, 5:02.63; Cardinal, 100 backstroke, 1:14.92; Brandon Vagt, 100 breaststroke, 1:18.95; 200 medley relay, Cuajunco, Clayton Livermore, Kaltenbach, Levy, 2:19.61; 400 free relay, Schell, Kaltenbach, Brett Vagt, Reith, 4:56.69.
Fifths: Powers, 100 butterfly, 1:13.34; Jeron Kosbar, 400 free, 5:23.97; 200 free relay, Kosbar, Livermore, Keaton Dieter, Bailey Rivers, 2:20.53; 400 free relay, David Kusnick, Wolfe, Ford, Lundstrom, 5:11.28.
