Strong state performance by Cheney swimmers

The Cheney High School girls' swimming team placed 13th out of 35 teams at the state swimming competition this past weekend at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.

Four swimmers made it to the competition, with three qualifying for races. The 200 medley relay team, consisting of Kaylie Watters, Alexis Schmidt, Brittany Meyer and Makenzie Norman, placed 13th with a time of 2 minutes, 4.23 seconds.

That team also placed in the 200 free relay, coming in ahead of North Kitsap High School for 10th place with a time of 1:50.09.

Schmidt placed seventh in the 100 fly, with a time of 1:03.23. She was also 10th in the 200 free, coming in at 2:06.12.

Norman made it to the medal podium twice in the finals that weekend, placing second in the 100 free with a time of 55.25. She also placed third in the 50 free with a 25.17 time.

Head coach Jennifer Hochwalt said she was very impressed with the team's performance, especially given how young the team was this year in terms of experience. Two of the swimmers at state hadn't been there before.

"We had goals at the beginning of the season and did a great job of accomplishing them," Hochwalt said.

One specific area where the team grew, she said, was in relay swimming, working together and performing their best. Those results paid off, as the team saw two relay teams make it to state.

Now that the swimming season is over, the Blackhawks will keep in shape throughout the year, preparing for their 2014 season. Some will take part in other school sports and others will continue swimming, gearing up for what looks to be another big year for Cheney.

James Eik can be reached at james@cheneyfreepress.com.