GIRLS SWIMMING: Port Angeles splashes Sequim in season-opening meet

SEQUIM — Port Angeles’ girls swim team opened the regular season with a strong statement, winning eight of 12 contested races and defeating rival Sequim 108-61 Wednesday at the YMCA of Sequim.

The meet started fast for the Roughriders in the 200-yard medley relay as the quartet of Brooke St. Luise, Lizzy Shaw, Amayah Nelson and Danika Asgeirsson surged to a first-place finish in 2 minutes, 6.82 seconds, clocking in a full eight seconds ahead of the Wolves and setting the tone for the rest of the meet, according to Port Angeles coach Sally Cole.

Lynzee Reid came out on top for the Riders in a 200 freestyle race with an exhilarating finish. Reid narrowly touched in first, edging out Sequim’s Melia Nelson by just 0.2 seconds.

Emerson DuBois followed with a solid third-place finish for the Riders adding valuable points.

Sequim’s Ava Shinkle won two individual events, starting off an impressive win in the 200 individual medley in 2:27.9, but Chloe Kay-Sanders (2:46.31) impressed with a personal best, finishing second by cutting nine seconds off her previous record. Lizzy Shaw took third, followed by freshman Mia Francis in fourth, keeping the Riders well ahead in the overall score.

Brooke St. Luise continued ’ momentum in the 50 free, delivering another decisive win, finishing five seconds ahead of the closest Sequim swimmer.

Shinkle (1:07.57) picked up her second victory in the 100 butterfly, but Port Angeles Amayah Nelson wasn’t far behind, securing second place with a new personal best time of 1:12.35.

“In the 100 freestyle, Danika Asgeirsson dominated, cruising to victory by nine seconds over Sequim’s Annie Ellefson. Teammate Dorothy Fettermann followed up in third, shaving an impressive 18 seconds off her previous best time,” coach Sally Cole said.

The Roughriders swept the 500 freestyle, with Amayah Nelson, Lynzee Reid, and Emerson DuBois taking the top three spots well ahead of their Wolves counterparts.

Port Angeles relay teams were unstoppable in the 200-freestyle relay event, as the squad of Asgeirsson, St. Luise, Shaw and Reid blew away the competition, finishing 19 seconds ahead of Sequim.

The Roughriders’ second team, consisting of Shavari Epps, Damun Seera, Chloe Kay-Sanders, and Emerson DuBois, secured the runner-up spot.

Co-captains St. Luise and Asgeirsson continued their winning ways in the 100 backstroke, placing first and second respectively.

Annie Ellefson took first for Sequim in the 100-breaststroke, but Port Angeles also swam well to secure more team points. Lizzy Shaw’s second-place finish was bolstered by a five-second personal best, while Chloe Kay-Sanders added a third-place finish with her own eight-second improvement.

The meet’s final event, the 400 freestyle relay, provided a thrilling conclusion. Sequim (Shinkle, Nelson, Ellefson and Keira Morey) took an early 12 seconds lead, but the Riders team of DuBois, Reid, Nelson, and Francis stormed back.

When Port Angeles’ anchor Francis dove in, the Riders still trailed by five seconds.

Francis closed the gap by the final turn, going stroke-for-stroke with Sequim’s Ellefson. The two hit the wall nearly simultaneously, with Sequim taking the win by just .45 seconds.

The Roughriders will look to build on their early-season success when they host East Jefferson and Kingston at Shore Aquatic Center today at 3:30 p.m.

Sequim swims at North Kitsap on Wednesday.

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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.