Local swimmers, divers shine at 2A districts

Bellingham’s Miles Cratsenberg was awarded Swimmer of the Meet and five local school records were broken at the 2A District 1 Boys Swim and Dive Championships Feb. 10 in Anacortes. 

Cratsenberg, a junior, ripped off four victories on the day, winning both his individual events (200- and 500-yard freestyles) along with two relay events (200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle). 

Bellingham placed second with 240 points behind district champion Anacortes (289), while Squalicum was third with 194, Sehome fifth with 133 and Lynden sixth with 119.

Squalicum’s Mathias Synnott and Dylan Fisk tied for second for Swimmer of the Meet. Synnott, a senior, set the district record in the 100-yard freestyle and took second in the 100-yard backstroke.  

Fisk, a freshman, finished second in his individual races behind Cratsenberg. Both Squalicum swimmers helped the Storm’s relay teams to a pair of top-three finishes. Bellingham and Squalicum will each send three relay teams to the state tournament. 

“Today was exciting,” Squalicum coach Randy Elsner said. “It felt like one of my best district meets as a boy’s swim coach.  We had four school records between Mathias and Dylan, including a district record for Mathias. Two district champions, and almost all best times today.  It almost felt like a party with how much we were celebrating.

Lynden coach Olivia Nielsen was voted Coach of the Year. Sehome coach Don Helling was celebrated for having coached over 100 total seasons between girls swimming, boys swimming and girls golf over his career.

In total, five local school records fell at districts: 

Bellingham

• 200-yard medley relay of Miles Cratsenberg, Alec Rodriguez-Stiff, Isaac Bates, Chayse Gauthier, 1:42.50

Squalicum

•  100-yard freestyle, Mathias Synnott, 48.26 (school and district record)
• 200-yard freestyle, Dylan Fisk, 1:46.18
• 500-yard freestyle, Dylan Fisk, 4:48.54
• 100-yard backstroke, Mathias Synnott, 54.82

Next up is the 2A state championships, held at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, King County, from February 16–18. 

2A District 1 Boys Swim and Dive Championships results 

(*) Denotes automatic state qualifier

50-yard freestyle 

1. Will McClintock, Anacortes (22.75) * 
2. Trey Rippon, Squalicum (23.72) *
3. Jonathan Evans, Anacortes (24.17) 

100-yard butterfly 

1. Trey Rippon, Squalicum (56.62) *
2. Cody Moreland, Lynden (57.41) *
3. Alec Rodriguez-Stiff, Bellingham (58.51) 

100-yard freestyle 

1. Mathias Synnott, Squalicum (48.26) * 
2. John Hernandez, Anacortes (51.79) 
3. Joseph Arrington, Anacortes (52.56) 

100-yard backstroke 

1. Will McClintock, Anacortes (54.48) * 
2. Mathias Synnott, Squalicum (54.82) * 
3. Tim Eilers, Burlington Edison (58.18) * 
4. John Hernandez, Anacortes (59.01) * 

100-yard breaststroke 

1. Evan Wold, Archbishop Murphy (1:02.29) * 
2. Alec Rodriguez-Stiff, Bellingham (1:02.88) * 
3. Zachary Harris, Anacortes (1:03.16) * 
4.  Cody Moreland, Lynden (1:06.07)*

200-yard medley relay

1. Bellingham (Miles Cratsenberg, Alec, Rodriguez-Stiff, Isaac Bates, Chayse Gauthier), 1:42.50*
2. Squalicum (Mathias Synnott, Dylan Fisk, Trey Rippon, Finn Smith), 1:44.60*
3.  Burlington-Edison, 1:50.42

200-yard freestyle 

1. Miles Cratsenberg, Bellingham (1:41.65) * 
2. Dylan Fisk, Squalicum (1:46.18) * 
3. Joseph Arrington, Anacortes (1:54.29) 

200-yard individual medley

1. Evan Wold, Archbishop Murphy (2:03.50) * 
2. Zachary Harris, Anacortes (2:05.65) * 
3. Derek Jones, Bellingham (2:07.60) * 

500-yard freestyle 

1. Miles Cratsenberg, Bellingham (4:45.30) * 
2. Dylan Fisk, Squalicum (4:48.54) * 
3. Derek Jones, Bellingham (5:07.63) * 

200-yard freestyle relay 

1. Anacortes (1:33.98) * 
2. Bellingham (Chayse Gauthier, Michael Mosquera, Isaac Bates, Ivan Potapov), 1:38.81*
3. Lynden (Conner Henry, Kai Wolfisberg, Colby Nosbusch, Ethan Williams), 1:39.71

400-yard freestyle relay 

1. Bellingham (Miles Cratsenberg, Ivan Potapov, Derek Jones, Alec Rodriguez-Stiff), 3:23.43*
2. Anacortes (3:25.24) * 
3. Squalicum (Dylan Fisk, Hayden Nelson, Trey Rippon, Mathias Synnott), 3:26.49* 

One-meter diving 

1. Zephy Blee, Anacortes (350.70) * 
2. Chayse Gauthier, Bellingham (321.45) * 
3. Jackson Legan, Sehome (299.40)