Tides swimming and diving team wins district

Qualifying times for individual, relays down from last year

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

PUYALLUP The Gig Harbor Tides girls swimming and diving team won its fourth straight Class 4A West Central District meet last Saturday at Rogers High School.

Gig Harbor senior Taylor Indahl won the Tides’ only individual championship in the 100-yard breaststroke with a season-best 1 minute, 7.86 seconds.

The team’s depth led to the win as the Tides scored 169 points, edging Kentlake by 19 despite being disqualified in the 200 medley relay.

“The girls did their best to maintain their qualification placing or improve on that, and we saw that in a couple events,” Gig Harbor head coach Mike Kelly said.

The Tides will compete in the 200 freestyle and 400 free relay events during the state meet Nov. 14 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Taylor Indahl (100 breast, 200 individual medley), Colleen Sullivan (200 free, 500 free), Alex Andren (500 free), Morgan Cabe (100 breast) and diver Maggie Churchill have individual state-qualifying marks.

Indahl said the team swam well at the district meet.

“We had a minor setback when our relay got disqualified,” Indahl said. “That worried us a little, but as the meet went on, we got over it and got some good swims in.”

Gig Harbor’s depth proved to be the deciding factor between schools with a handful of high-end club swimmers.

“For me, this is exactly what the definition of a team effort is,” Kelly said. “There were some teams who did phenomenal in their races, yet, in the end, they lacked team depth.

“For the Tides, it was a matter of lots of little things adding up to a big win.”

Reach sports reporter Marques Hunter at 253-853-9246 or by e-mail at marques.hunter@gateline.com.