Mount Rainier carved out its own place on the awards stand at the state Class 3A boys swimming and diving championships, even if it wasn't the one the Rams are used to.
They took fourth place in this year's state finals held February 18-20 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way after making the top spot on the stand in recent years.
Mercer Island emerged as this year's winner with 396.0 points compared to the Rams' 170.0.
While they were not the top team in the state they were first out of the Highline School District area. Kennedy Catholic, a private school, tied for 14th place with 52 points and the Highline Pirates tied for 23rd with 22.
The evening's events started with the Rams finishing fourth, appropriately enough, with their time of 1 minute, 31.11 seconds in the 200 individual medley posted by the foursome of Jason Lemley, Joel Hughes, Dillon Webster and Matt Jude.
Kennedy came in 13th after placing fifth in the consolation finals in a time of 1:46.40 on the efforts of Karl Fenster, Trent Wood, Thane Maudslien and Sean Piper.
Maudslien appeared to win the 200 individual medley in 1:55.85, but was disqualified. He redeemed himself later in the meet, winning the 100 butterfly in an All-American Consideration time of 50.81.
Mount Rainier teammate Dillon Webster was eighth in the 100 fly in 55.21 and Kyle Aasness of the Rams finished fifth in the consolation finals in 55.57. Webster was also fifth in the 200 IM in 2:02.63.
Mount Rainier's Matt Jude came in second in the 50 freestyle in an All-American Consideration time of 21.47 and teammate Lemley took sixth place in 22.61.
After Maudslien claimed the 100 fly for Kennedy Catholic, Jude took third in the 100 free in 47.09. Highline's Jon Graybill Jr. was 15th in 50.86 in the same event.
Ryan Gansneder of Mount Rainier finished 10th in the 500 free in 4:51.00 and the Rams placed eighth in the 200 free relay in 1:35.32. JFK came in fourth in the consolation finals in 1:35.87 for 12th place.
Kennedy Catholic's Fenster was third for 11th overall in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.40 and Mount Rainier's Lemley finished right behind him in 56.44.
The Rams' foursome of Lemley, Gansneder, Webster and Jude came in fourth in the meet-ending 400 free relay in 3:17.38. JFK's Lancers came in 13th in 3:27.15 with Maudslien, Fenster, Max Seifert and Piper.
Troy Neklason of Highline won the diving competition with 415.85 points, while Mount Rainier's Nick Hamblen and Berkel Dislers scored 252.05 and 237.00 for 13th and 14th, respectively.
