Ashley Lynch will represent South Whidbey High School at the state swim meet Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10, at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Lynch, a junior, placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle at the district meet Saturday, Nov. 3, in Anacortes with a personal best time of 2:11.19. Lynch clipped nearly two seconds off her previous PR in the preliminaries and then sliced two more seconds in the finals.
The top three competitors in each event earned automatic berths in the state meet. Lynch received a wildcard invitation, which go to to the non-automatic qualifiers from across the state with the next best times to fill out the state field of 24.
Lynch enters the meet with the 17th best time.
Although South Whidbey is a 1A school, Lynch will compete in the 2A state meet. The state lumps all schools 2A and below in one meet because so few small schools field swim teams.
The Falcons were the only non-2A team at the district meet and placed 10th out of the 11 schools that scored points, tallying 26. Liberty took the team title with 328.
South Whidbey High School does not have an official swim team, so the Falcon foursome trained and competed with Kamiak High School during the regular season.
At district, South Whidbey – Lynch, Sarah Zundel, Katie Zundel and Anna Bennett – posted the eighth-best time in the 200-yard medley relay but was disqualified for an illegal touch on a turn.
The Falcons were eighth in the 200-free relay in 2:05.21.
Lynch added a 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:08.12.
Katy Zundel was 11th in the 100 butterfly in 1:15.4.
Katie Zundel takes off to begin her butterfly leg of the medley relay at the district meet. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)
Anna Bennett swims the anchor leg for the Falcon 200-yard medley relay. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)
Sarah Zundel swims the breaststroke leg of the medley relay Saturday. (Photo by Jim Waller/South Whidbey Record)
