PREP BOYS' SWIMMING: Sehome takes seventh at Kentridge Invite; now gears for NWC title

For the second straight day, the 200 medley relay squad of the Sehome boys' swimming team topped its previous best time in all of Class 2A swimming to help the Mariners finish seventh out of 39 teams at the Kentridge Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 14, at the King County Aquatic Center.

Sehome's 200 medley relay team of Cole Avery, Patrick Gregory, Casey Klipsch and Allen Cui posted a time of 1 minute, 41.96 seconds. The relay team beat its top time in the state of 1:42.05 it set the previous night against Hazen.

Avery also went on to place fourth in the 100 backstroke at 53.75. Andy Small placed third in the 500 freestyle after he set a personal-best time at 5:04.01.

"We're very pleased with how we did," Sehome coach Don Helling said in a phone interview. "We're still training really hard and we're dropping times we normally only see on taper."

Omaha Creighton Prep, of Omaha, Neb., took first place overall. The invitational was comprised of 2A, 3A and 4A teams.

With the Kentridge Invitational out of the way, the Mariners (7-0, 3-0 NWC) now look toward locking up the Northwest Conference regular season title. They face Anacortes on Tuesday in a battle of unbeaten squads. Anacortes is 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the NWC. The meet starts at 3:15 p.m. at the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center.

While the Mariners have posted some of the top times in the state and have cruised in each of its seven dual victories, Helling said his team won't be taking Anacortes for granted.

"We're not looking past Anacortes," Helling said," but we are pleased with where we are right now."

Of the 12 boys' swimming events total, Sehome holds top Northwest Conference times in 10 of them: 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle (Klipsch), 200 individual medley (Avery), 50 freestyle (Klipsch), 100 butterfly (Avery), 100 freestyle (Klipsch), 500 freestyle (Avery), 200 freestyle relay (Avery, Cui, Gregory, Klipsch), 100 backstroke (Avery) and 400 freestyle relay (Avery, Curran Wilbour, Small, Klipsch). Squalicum's Gus Evans owns the top time in 100 breaststroke and teammate Rylan Korby owns the top diving score.