2019 Top 10 – No. 1
Veteran Cheney High School swimming head coach Jennifer Hochwalt knew she had some special girls at the beginning of the 2019 fall season.
“The amazing thing was everybody came in this season and everybody can swim so we’re really coming in from more of a training standpoint,” Hochwalt said in September. “The nice thing is that our new kids are really already at where (last year’s) team was at mid-season.”
The Blackhawks proved the accuracy of that statement and then some.
Cheney did several things no girls — or boys swimming team for that matter — had ever done. They not only went unbeaten in league meet action, finishing 6-0 against Central Washington Athletic Conference and Great Northern League opponents that included perennial powerhouse Pullman, but won a district title by producing six district champions.
The Blackhawks topped that by finishing seventh overall at the state 2A meet — with sophomore Janie Richards winning a state title in the 500-yard freestyle competition. Richards also finished fourth in the 100 free while freshman Asia Gere was fourth in the 200 free, fifth in the 500 free with older sister, sophomore Jade, seventh in the 200 free.
Top that off with a fifth and sixth-place finish in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays respectively – featuring a new school record in the 200 – and the Cheney girls swimmers showed why they are they surprise story of 2019 – and No. 1 on the top-10 list.
Winning district titles were Richards (100 backstroke, 500 free), Jade Gere (100 breaststroke) and senior Izzy Williams (200 individual medley), along with the 200 and 400 free teams. Richards was named Athlete of the Meet.
“I am excited by the progress the girls made this year,” Hochwalt said after state.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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