By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The Evergreen/Highline/Tyee co-op team that swims as one team, but whose points get individually scored out for each's school, battled well. It won 10 of 12 races, but the split-points scoring hurt in a three-school loss to Renton, on senior day at the Evergreen pool in White Center Thursday.

Now the regular season is through, but the fun is just beginning, as, the Wolverines/Pirates/Totems team will swim at the Hazen pool for the Seamount League Meet on Feb. 6-7, with the finals being Saturday, starting at 5 p.m.

But, in this meet versus Renton, as points were being added up at the end of the meet, the Wolverines/Pirates/Totems' coach, Megan Reynolds, was with hope that one of the three teams -- Highline --would get a win against the Indians.

"We're crossing our fingers," said Reynolds while waiting for the tallies. "But it's tough because of the split, we have to count the points differently."

And, the final scores tallied up dashed hopes of Reynolds, as, Renton beat the Totems, 106-7, and the Wolverines, 98-21. And, by close to the narrowest of margins, as, Reynolds knew it would be close with the last dual head-to-head, the Pirates versus the Indians, the Indians won, 65-63.

Reynolds was smiling, afterward, remaining positive.

"That was a really close meet," said Reynolds. "I'm really proud of how hard the guys worked at this meet."
The Totems/Wolverines/Pirates dominated the events, only not getting wins in the 50-yard freestyle and the 400 free relay.

Tyler Goodspeed is a freshman, and he's qualified for state in?

"All the 100s," said Goodspeed. "That means he's got state-cut times in the 100 breaststroke, the 100 backstroke, the 100 butterfly, and, 100 free. On this day, against the Indians, Goodspeed swam the 500 free, trying to make the state-cut in it. And, did Goodspeed?

"You made it," said Evergreen/Highline/Tyee assistant coach, Emma Murray, shouting to Goodspeed, afterward, as he looked over to her from in the pool and was asking, 'By how much?'

"Just barely," said Murray, an Aviation West senior, who swam at state for the girls' co-op team of these three schools, last November. Goodspeed swam a 5:14.05.

And, another good, meaningful win for Evergreen/Highline/Tyee was by Nate Williams, he made the state-cut in the 200 IM, swimming a 2:09.57.

Murray complimented Williams on a job well done, with one caveat.

"One thing," said Murray, teachingly. "You glided into your turn."

So, that kind of explains the swimming, a little more on that, but, first, the words 'senior day' were mentioned above so they should be explained further.

It was the last home meet for the seniors on the team. And, the Pirates, Totems, and, Wolverines seniors all got honored with roses, from coaches, Reynolds and Murray, and, as they stood on the blocks, Murray read words from a sheet of paper, words of the seniors own choosing about themselves. Murray presented things nicely via a microphone.

Six seniors total. So, a lot of roses and a lot of accolades to Pirate's, Kodie Frankele, Nate Williams, and, Wolverine's Pedro Diaz, and, Hank Ufkes, and, Totems', Chris Parsell, Mikea Phillips.

"It was great celebrating the seniors," said Reynolds, in her first season being head coach of the Wolverines. "They and their parents contributed a lot to this team."

Murray, whom Reynolds was thankful for reading the swimmers' self-profile scripts, for one reason, because Reynolds' throat was sore, enjoyed her time with the seniors, some of which date back to long ago meetings.

"Kind of bittersweet," said Murray. "I've been watching Nate and Kodie since their freshmen year. I've swam with or coached Nate since middle school."

The seniors dedicated roses to different people, some gave to their moms, one gave to grandpa, and, even, one gave the rose to his sister. And, the latter giver was Diaz. He's been a swimmer on this co-op team for three years now.

"Always great," said Diaz. "It's great competition. A lot of hard work, but, not overwhelming."

And, Frankele is a captain on the team and Diaz was asked about having him in that role.

"Beautiful role model," said Diaz, as, both laughed. And, then, in this moment, Nate Williams, another swimmer on the team, one of the team's best, standing nearby, was referred to in matter-of-fact fashion.

"And, soon to be Nate's brother in law," said Diaz.

Diaz stayed serious for a second, and, then, said, as all in circumference of him, laughed, as, he admitted, 'No, no, that's not true."

But, it's easy to see this team has fun swimming together this season, kidding around, despite being from three different schools, four, actually, as Aviation West, located in Sea-Tac, is separate from Highline but is, still, a part of that school.

After the senior presentations, Frankele came over to assistant coach, Murray, who read the things the seniors said of themselves as they were honored, and, he said, "Man, Emma, you must have read that three whole times to get that good."

The two laughed and others standing around, too, like Williams, dressed in a toga, that is, a white bed sheet that is wrapped around the neck and one shoulder left bare.

"It is spirit week at our school, and, it was Toga Day today," said Williams, who was a finalist at state, by the way, in the 500 free, as an underclassman.

What about Murray, she attends the same school as Williams, did she wear a toga to this last meet for seniors at home?

"I did wear my toga here," said Murray.

"No, she didn't," said Williams, or, something of an interjecting sort that caused Murray to react.

"I did, too," she said. "I have pictures in it. I totally wore it. I took it off before the meet started."

Williams, then, said, "Yeah, she wore it."

Anyway, a lot of fun times on this senior day for the Evergreen/Highline/Tyee team, and, Murray reflected that it's a great day but a saddish day, too.

"It's like, 'Oh, I don't get to do this anymore,'" said Murray, adding, something of respite to that sadness inside her. "There's, still, league and districts and state, so, not done yet."

And, so it goes, a lot of great swimming, too, all those first places by Tyee/Evergreen Highline swimmers in this meet, totally dominating the Indians in that way. And, also Reynolds said she was happy of a first for her team this season.

"I'm really excited to have an Evergreen relay team swimming for the first time in a couple years," said Reynolds, who was not head coach before this time but was assistant coach.

Those four swimmers would be Allen Van, Roger Alvarado-Meija, Ufkes and Diaz.

Ufkes, a Wolverine cross-country runner, too, who did well last year as a junior, but this senior season he would have helped his team go to state, probably, from the district meet, but, a knee injury stopped that.

"It didn't work out, that's the way it goes," said Ufkes, keeping a smile.

And, swimming?

"This is my first season, I got into swimming for rehab for my knee," said Ufkes. "It's fun."

The Seamount league meet, aforementioned, is a meet for a last chance for swimmers to qualify for districts, and, maybe, if that goes well, for state, that goes on Feb. 20-21 at the King County Acquatics Center in Federal Way.

"League is our last shot at pushing everyone through," said Reynolds. "The top seven swimmers get pushed on to districts. Always good to make it by (state-cut) time, but, by place is good, too."

Big meet, all the schools of the Seamount League are there for that meet.

In this meet, the first places went almost exclusively to the Pirates/Wolverines/Totems team. And, besides Williams and Goodspeed's already mentioned wins, the 200 medley relay team of Lucien Gauvin, Williams, Frankele, Goodspeed, won in 1:54.33. And, in the 200 free, Frankele won in 2:22.48. And, Goodspeed took home the win in the 100 fly in 59.62. And, Alex Hoppe did well, too, he a freshman like Goodspeed, whom Reynolds called Hoppe 'another powerhouse' on her team. Hoppe won the 100 free in 59.28, and, the 100 back in 1:10.88. Both events of which Hoppe will go to past just leagues to districts in.

And, Williams won the 100 breast in 1:10.13. Also, the Pirates 200 free relay team of same four as previous mentioned winning the 200 medley swam it in 1:44.23.