(Annette Griffus | Kitsap Sun)
Kingston proved they could walk the walk after all.
The Buccaneers earned their first state championship in school history on Saturday when the 200-yard medley relay won the Class 2A event in 1 minute, 43.08 seconds.
The boys program split off from North Kitsap in 2008-09 and has been progressing each year. The Bucs won the Olympic League and district meet titles this year, also firsts for the program.
The school opened in 2007 and co-oped its swimming program with North Kitsap that first year.
It’s been quite a meet so far for the peninsula . Kitsap has been on the medal podium in every event.
(Annette Griffus | Kitsap Sun)
Kitsap wound up with three second-place finishers in Olympic’s Ross Burchell, Bremerton’s Nathan Rubie and Kingston’s Tim Gallagher.
Burchell finished second in the 200 freestyle in 1:45.86, a personal best and the 500 freestyle in 4:42.39.
Bremerton’s Rubie finished second in the 100 butterfly. Rubie touched the wall in 52.93, closing in on Elliott Hofferth of Anacortes in the final 10 yards to make it entertaining.
Gallagher, a freshman, was second in the 100 backstroke in 53.54. In total, West Sound walked away with 22 medals in 12 events.
Kingston finished in fourth place in the team standings, giving the Bucs their first state trophy. North Kitsap placed seventh while Olympic was 12th. Klahowya was 24th and Bremerton 28th.
(Annette Griffus | Kitsap Sun)
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(Annette Griffus | Kitsap Sun)
The 3A session saw the Bainbridge Spartans earn a second place finish overall with 288 points to Bellevue’s 349.5. It’s the Spartans best finish since 1980, when they also finished second.
The Spartans’ 200 medley and 200 free relays placed second while the 400 free relay was third.
Individually, Garrett Waite had two top four finishes to lead the Spartans. Waite was third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 backstroke.
Other top finishers for Bainbridge were junior Parker Bushey who finished fifth in the 200 freestyle, freshmen Kevin Houseman, fifth in 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, Makai Ingalls placed sixth in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 50 free, and Carter Hall was eighth in the breast.
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The 4A meet is underway and South Kitsap’s Dylan Macabitas, who opened the session by singing the national anthem, placed fourth in the 100 backstroke in 52.67, just off his personal best from prelims (52.28). Macabitas also finished 12th in the 200 freestyle.
(Annette Griffus | Kitsap Sun)
South diver Jason Gleason finished seventh in his first meet. He’s a junior and is determined to improve on that ranking next season.
