It’s been seven years in the making for the Auburn Mountainview boys swimming team, but the Lions can now lay claim to being the best swimming squad in town.
Auburn Mountainview scored 233 points during the Auburn All-City Swim meet at the Auburn Pool this past Friday, good enough to top district rivals Auburn and Auburn Riverside.
“It’s the very first time we’ve won that,” said Auburn Mountainview Coach Justin Pritchard. “We’ve been trying to do that for years. So that’s very exciting. We almost won every single race, so it was a very good meet for us.”
The Lions 200-yard freestyle relay team – including Cameron Lindsay, Colin Lempert, Jourdan Rogers and Paul Whisman, who posted a 1:36.97 — led the effort.
The school’s first string 200 free relay team, with Lempert, Lindsay, Luke Lavine and John Kyle Davis, has already qualified for the Washington State 3A Boys Swimming Championship.
“It’s the first time Auburn Mountainview has swam a state qualifying time in a relay,” Pritchard said. “Normally we get wildcarded in.”
Lindsay, the reigning 3A 100 backstroke state champ, finished first in the 100 breaststroke at the All-City with a 1 minute, 1.15 second time.
Lindsay was also first in the 200 IM with a 2:14.98 and part of the 200 medley relay team with Davis, Lempert and Rogers. That team finshed with a 1:46.68 time.
The Lions’ 400 free relay team also grabbed gold with Whisman, Riley King, Tyler Arnold and Kyle Davis posting a 3:49.21.
King finished first in the 200 free with a 2:06.24.
Lempert was first in the 50 free with a 23.40 and Kyle Davis snagged gold in the 100 fly (1:01.23) and the 100 backstroke (1:01.19).
“We’ve been doing really well,” Pritchard said. “We’ve got a lot of speed at the top. We’ve qualified for state already in the 200 free relay. Across the board we’re very fast.”
Auburn Riverside finished second at the meet with 207 points, Thomas Henline taking first in the 500 free with a 5:29.80 and Matty Benabid finishing first in the 100 free with a 55.65. Raven diver Ben Blanchard was first with 197.30.
Auburn finished third at the meet with 111 points.
