Kentridge stops Ravens for SPSL North swim title

By Shawn Skager • January 23, 2009 5:13 pm
Auburn Riverside's Kyle Rogers held on to capture the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.40.
Auburn Riverside's Kyle Rogers held on to capture the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.40.

The Auburn Riverside boys might not have come home from their final regular-season swim meet against Kentridge with the South Puget Sound League North title in their pockets. But the Ravens did come away knowing they could hang with any 4A team in the South Puget Sound League North.

In just their first year back in the 4A ranks – after three seasons in SPSL 3A – the Ravens came into the finale at Renton’s Lindbergh Pool with an undefeated season on the line.

Likewise, the Chargers, winners of the last four SPSL North team titles, were undefeated in dual meets this season.

In the end, it was Kentridge which came out on top, with a 109-77 win and the league title.

“I didn’t think we were going to be as good as we are,” Raven senior Kyle Rogers said. “But we just got a lot better as the season went along. I definitely didn’t think we’d be undefeated this long.”

“Obviously we’re a little disappointed we didn’t come away with the result that we were looking for, but I’m very proud of our guys,” Ravens coach Patrick McKeehan said. “First off, Kentridge is a phenomenal team. They don’t have an event that’s weak. And we had a couple of guys who lost an event for the first time this season.”

In addition to junior Ryan Atwood’s first loss this season in the 200-yard freestyle to Bryan Lam – who finished more than seven seconds quicker than Atwood with a 1:56.97 – Rogers also tasted defeat for the first time in the 50 free.

“I thought I out-touched him,” Rogers said of his 23.59 finish, just .02 seconds behind Kentridge’s Andrew Nelson. “But it’s not a (electronic) timing system, so it’s not super reliable. So really sometimes it’s slow. They (the timers) usually stand back and watch because they don’t want to get wet. But that’s my opinion. Either way, I did good and I already shook his hand.”

Despite the loss, however, McKeehan had nothing but praise for his swimmers, especially the 200-free relay team of Atwood, Brandon Hand, Devin Cramer and Rogers, who set a school record of 1:36.37 in the event.

“At the end, even when the swimmers knew the meet was a foregone conclusion, they still set a school record in the 200 free relay,” McKeehan said. “So all-in-all, coming up from 3A to 4A, having a chance to win a division title on the last meet of the season is a lot of fun.”

Now the Raven swimmers prepare for the postseason, which begins with the SPSL league meet next Saturday at Curtis High School.

“I’d just like to see the team to continue to drop times,” McKeehan said. “We phase over to an individual focus now, instead of a team focus.

“I’d love to see Kyle meet the guy who out-touched him in the 50 and avenge that loss,” he continued. “I know some of the teams in the south division are pretty strong, but I think Kyle should be able to contend for a league title in the 50. We’ll just hope for good swims from the guys and hopefully qualify two or three of them for state when we’re done. And we’ll be happy.”

SWIM RESULTS

Kentridge 109, Auburn Riverside 77

200 medley relay — Auburn Riverside (Reiss, Newell, Atwood, Hand), 1:55.90. 200 free — Bryan Lam, KR, 1:56.97. 200 IM — Cameron Whiting, KR, 2:13.33. 50 free — Andrew Nelson, KR, 23.57. Diving — Deon Johnson, AR, 185.8. 100 fly — Whiting, KR 1:00.40. 100 free — Lam, KR, 52.23. 500 free — Dallin Connell, KR, 5:37.36. 200 free relay — Kentridge (Nelson, Lam, Wilson, Whiting), 1:37.40. 100 back — Alan Reiss, AR, 1:04.30. 100 breast — Ryan Atwood, AR, 1:08.73. 400 free relay — Kentridge (Nelson, Lam, Wilson, Whiting), 3:48.48.