By Tim Clinton

SPORTS EDITOR

Kennedy Catholic captured the Class 4A state girls swimming championship Saturday, scoring 265 team points to the 242 of Curtis.

The Lancers did not have any participants in the Thursday diving portion of the meet, but scored more than enough points in Saturday's swimming finals and consolation finals to make up for it.

They opened by winning the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1 minute, 45.66 seconds before Lucy LaBella took 16th in the 200 freestyle in 2:01.28.

Kaitlyn Vu won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:06.55 after that and Kennedy Catholic teammate Hailey Weiler took the 100 butterfly in 54.34.

Avery Jackson finished fourth in the 100 free with a 52.99 effort and the Lancers took fifth in the 200 free relay in 1:41.71.

Kennedy Catholic finished strong, coming in first in the final three events to overtake Curtis.

Weiler won the 100 backstroke in 54.63 and Vu took the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.55 with teammate Parker Marvin taking second place in 1:05.57.  Grace Helland of the Lancers also made the 100 breast finals and placed eighth in 1:08.85.

The Lancers capped off the meet by taking first in the 400 free relay with a 3:30.57 clocking, sealing the team victory as well.

Mount Rainier was represented by one athlete in the same 4A meet held at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Phoebe Jane Allred snagged 16th in diving with 248.55 points.

3A state

Maddie Yovanovich of Ballard highlighted the area efforts in the 3A meet also held at the Aquatic Center on Saturday, taking eighth in the 100 backstroke finals in 58.55.

She also won the consolation finals in the 200 IM with a time of 2:11.36 for ninth place overall.

Ballard came in 12th in the 200 medley relay in 1:57.08 and 19th in the 400 free relay in 4:00.07.

West Seattle finished 15th in the 200 free relay in 1:48.86.