LIFE IN THE FAST LANE. Ballard swimmer Perry Sharify has a developed into one of the best athletes on the team and has led by example all season, helping the Beavers to a 8 and 2 record. He finished second in the 200 IM at state. Dean Wong photo.
Perry Sharify gets second place
By Dean Wong
In boy's swimming, Ballard Beaver Perry Sharify won second place in the 200 IM (individual medley) at the WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) 4A Swimming and Diving Championships last Saturday.
Sharify recorded a time of 1:57.10 in the race. Bothell's Chris Winchell took first at 1:53.66, an All-American Time Consideration. A time of 1:00.43 was good enough to earn Sharfiy fifth place in the 100 breast.
The 200 free relay team was fifth in that event with a time of 1:31.34. Ballard made it to the state meet with an 8 and 2 season and second place finish in KingCo.
"We had an unbelievable season. The guys have put in the work. It's the biggest (Ballard) team to come to state," said Head Coach Michael Bruesch.
"It's one of the best records we have had at Ballard High School in one of the toughest conferences in the state," said assistant coach Leo Jaeger. "Our guys just swam out of their minds," said Jaeger, regarding a two point win that stunned swimming power Inglemoor during the last meet of the regular season.
On Friday, the first day of the meet, Nick Tsagalakis took on the best divers among 4A schools and made the top 16 to advance to the next round. The boy's team finished in fifth place in the 4A SeaKing District 2 Championships at Juanita High School on February 9 and 10.
Their score of 162 followed Roosevelt in first at 217, Inglemoor 205, Redmond 193 and Bothell 174.
The Beaver 200 medley relay team came in second with a time of 1:44.57 to qualify for state. Shane Levine's 50.05 qualified him for state and earned him sixth place in the 100 free.
Tsagalakis turned in a third place showing with a 360.15 score.
Sharify swam well enough to cement second place in the 200 IM with a time of 1:58.59. Sharify won the 100 breast at a time of 1:00.05. Sharify's 100 breast performance broke former Beaver Kuo Wang's school record of 1:00.66 set in 1993. Ironically, Wang was Sharify's coach at the Salmon Bay Aquatics when he was nine years old.
