By Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

UNIVERSITY PLACE--Despite not getting one first place out of 11 swimming events or 1-meter diving, the Mount Rainier Rams' boys swim and dive team finished fourth out of 17 teams for swim coach Chris Veraya and dive coach Todd Wollenweber at the West Central District III meet held inside the Curtis Aquatic Center Saturday.

"It was exciting," said Veraya, who swam strong for Kentwood in the early 2000s as well as coaching the Arbor Heights team of the Seattle Summer Swim League.

Curtis won with 422 points and the Gig Harbor Tides took second with 294 ahead of Kentridge (223), Mount Rainier (208.5) and Stadium (193.5).

But, really, for the Rams, if not for a disqualification in one event for misdoing a stroke, they would have got the points to take third place as a team.

The Rams got three divers qualified into state, too, under Wollenweber. Nathan Dadalto took third place with 338.85 points, Peyton Conrad sixth with 314.80 and Daniel Russell ninth with 292.30.

At the swim portion of the meet, which followed the district diving competition by a couple days, the Rams received strong individual efforts in one event in particular -- the 50 free.

Senior captains Grant Meyers and Eric Reiff lined up side by side, in lanes three and four prior to the race, stoically concentrating, looking like they were in a great rivalry.

Off the blocks, at the start of the race, the two Rams' flew from their respective lanes and thrashed through the water in the speediest, quickest distance event of the 11 in any given high school swim meet. Meyers touched the wall, first of the two swimmers, getting in at 22.34, with Reiff about 25 hundredths of a second behind him in 22.60.

"No, we are not rivals," Meyers said. "We are together. Everyone is for each other."

For their team effort the Rams' got one of the top four places, landing them something that 13 other teams didn't get -- a prize. The top four received pins or ribbons.

So, one more time, the Rams, who achieved strong success at the SPSL League Meet the week before at the Rogers pool in Puyallup with second place there, followed up at districts nicely. Against higher quality, district-cut, qualifying competition, the Rams dropped two places only. And, really, as previously mentioned, that DQ in an event at districts that took away 17 points, was enough points for the Rams to have beaten the Chargers and taken third.

But this Rams team didn't talk about that, it just moves on to the next step, which is state. That happens in two weeks, on Feb. 20-21, at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, where, to note, Olympic Trials and Goodwill Games competition have been held.

That should be fun for Meyers and Reiff, in the 50 free, at state, as both are not that far off from getting blue ribbons (first places) in that event.

And, at districts, besides Reiff and Meyers, the Rams' relay teams were strong, at districts, too, especially the 200 medley relay. That was comprised of Caden Tongue (backstroke), Ryan Hubbard (breaststroke), Reiff (butterfly), and Meyers (freestyle). Hubbard is a freshman and the rest seniors.

Those four swam a 1:43.33, which was a state-cut qualifying time, beating the mark to get in by just over a second, that qualifier being 1:44.30. The four Rams were behind first-place Curtis, who swam a 1:42.47, but with two weeks until state these guys, one can be certain, are going to be working hard under Veraya and Neff in practices. The Rams' 200 medley was seeded fifth, with a 1:46.63 preliminary time, but took second .

Those three seniors just mentioned, Tongue, Reiff and Meyers, have been with Veraya all of their swimming seasons, freshman to senior years. And, this is, therefore, a bittersweet time for them, knowing they are going to have fun one more time swimming for their coach but knowing the end is near .

"Best year ever to have a senior year end, couldn't have asked for a better four years," said Tongue, who swam in the consolation final of the 200 IM at districts. He may allocate into state with his 2:17.64 time in this event, with an even better chance in 100 back, where he swam a 1:00.01 for seventh, in the final which was four seconds off the state-cut qualifying time of 56.10. But, for reasons of allocation, may just make it.

"I'll know on Sunday," said Tongue. "I have the highest chance to wild card."

The Rams will also swim at state in the 400 free relay with junior Joseph Burdine swimming with sophomore Tristan Miles, Tongue and Meyers. Those four swam to fourth place in 3:27.21, eclipsing it's swim the week before at the SPSL meet by a lot of seconds. That time, then, was 3:31.60.

The Rams also swam the 200 free relay in a time of 1:34.50, and, will be at state in that event, with Reiff, Burdine, Miles and Hubbard.

Burdine swam in the 200 free and didn't qualify for state in the events with 1:53.85 time, but he swam well, taking second in the event, for the consolation final, and maybe gets in by allocation. That depends on how others swimmers' swims went at district meets around the state of Washington.

"I got better than I thought I would," said Burdine, who is a captain on the Rams.

Burdine came into the 200 free seeded sixth and got second.

"I moved up four spots," said Burdine.

And Burdine qualified for districts in the 100 free, swimming a 51.97, to tie for second place in the consolation final. Again, he was lower seeded, fifth, and took second.

Also, sophomore Francisco Felix swam at districts in the 500 free in a 5:28.26, though seventh in the consolation final.

Hubbard and Miles, too, are strong underclassmen for the Rams, so, though some solid seniors leave the program after this season, the Rams have a foundation for the future.

And, before state, Meyers said what the Rams are planning to do next.

"Destroy it at state," said Meyers.

Beat Kentrige?

"Yeah," said Reiff. "Since Day 1, that's been our goal."

The Chargers finished the SPSL North in first place at 5-0 in the regular season, and the Rams second at 4-1. Then, the Rams came back in the SPSL League Meet to beat them so closely, 233-231, second and third place, at the league meet. Now, the Chargers got the Rams in the district meet. So state is not for fun against them, it's for more than that, definitely, not getting a "like" from the Rams for their Facebook page.
"It's one of those rivals," said Tongue. "It's not like, 'We like you, we want you to do great.' It's like, 'We hate you, we want to beat you.' But, they do have great swimmers on their team and are great competition."