The North Thurston girls swimming team squeezed past rival Timberline 87-82 on its senior night on Thursday, Oct. 8, taking the lead after the ninth of 12 events and never relinquishing it.
Senior Michelle Ewig enjoyed a memorable final home meet as she was part of three titles against the Blazers. She, along with Luna Kresha, Kai Cardwell and Chelsea Watson, set a new season-best time in the 200-yard medley relay at 2:18.59 in a close race. Timberline finished less than two seconds back at 2:19.83.
Ewig also came out on top in an impressive 50-yard freestyle field with a personal record of 27.31 seconds. Although she led wire to wire, she narrowly edged out Timberline junior Layla Nau (27.41) in the final seconds. Lastly, Ewig won the 100-yard breaststroke by swimming 1:25.33.
Rams senior June Booth took home the 500-yard freestyle title in another nail-biting race. She broke her lifetime best by eight seconds with a time of 7:10.39, which was less than a second faster than Timberline junior Lillianna Conn’s 7:10.39, an 11-second PR.
Kresha triumphed at 1:20.85 in the 100-yard backstroke, and Watson set a PR in second place at 1:28.46. Timberline sophomore Zailynn Dall also improved her time to 1:29.92 in third.
North Thurston won the 200-yard freestyle relay at 2:07.95, as Timberline’s fastest time of the season of 2:09.77 was not enough for the victory.
Timberline freshman Nevaeh Lewis was part of three event victories, clinching first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:43.53) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:26.84) while helping the 400-yard freestyle relay team dominate at 4:25.13.
Behind Lewis in the 100-yard butterfly was Kresha in second with a PR of 1:36.29 and North Thurston junior Halana Tanabe in her first attempt at the event at 1:56.79. Lilli Brandes, a North Thurston junior, came in fourth at 2:00.79. Despite Lewis’ first-place swim, the Rams outscored the Blazers in the 100-yard butterfly.
Nau won the 100-yard freestyle at 1:02.12, and Watson qualified for the league meet with a third-place time of 1:08.65.
Timberline junior Brenna Ganey took first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:29.52 and second in the 100-yard freestyle at 1:06.84.
A season ago, North Thurston beat Timberline by just one point, and Thursday’s meet was another that came down to the wire between the two Lacey schools.
“This was a true team win. Our event winners, combined with two winning relays, gave us a great foundation, but it was the significant amount of thirds and fourths that sealed the win for us,” North Thurston head coach Christy Bermensolo said. “In a five-point meet, every swim counts, and our girls proved it tonight.”
North Thurston will host Lakes on Tuesday, Oct. 13, while Timberline will welcome Peninsula that same afternoon.
