<< Previous   of   Next >> For The Enterprise/ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG  (click to enlarge) Jackson's Alana Pazevic took second in the 100 backstroke at the Class 4A state swimming championships Nov. 14 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. For the Enterprise/ELIZABETH ARMSTRONG  (click to enlarge) Jackson's Alana Pazevic bursts from the blocks at the start of the 200 yard medley relay. Jackson's team came in 4th in the event.

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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Pazevic finishes second in 100 back

By Mark Nelson
For The Enterprise

The Western Conference didn't have a dominant swim team, but a handful of conference swimmers captured high finishes in individual events at the girls 4A state swimming and diving meet Nov. 14 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Jackson senior and University of Florida signee Alana Pazevic cut her preliminary times, but couldn't quite reach the top spot in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke events. Pazevic finished third (56.20 seconds) in the 100 butterfly, behind a state-record swim by Eastlake sophomore Katie Kinnear (53.10).

Ballard's Annemarie Thayer finished second (55.39), but neither swimmer could catch Kinnear following a fantastic jump at the start.

Pazevic, a former state champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle, took second in the 100 backstroke (54.94) behind Thayer.

The Timberwolves, last year's state champion, lost a lot to graduation and the preseason departure of swimmer Amber McDermott didn't help, but the squad was still strong enough to capture seventh place — the highest place of any Wesco team. Skyline High of Sammamish won the overall title with 234 points.

4A District 1 champion Shorewood, which took eighth place, got a strong individual performance from junior Dana Michaels.

Michaels placed third in both the 200 freestyle (1:50.80) and the 500 freestyle (4:57.66).

“I think in my 500 I could have swam better,” Michaels said, adding that she tried to not let Skyline's Andie Taylor, the swimmer of the meet, beat her by too much. “That was a little nerve wracking ... she's (Taylor) a fast girl, but I try not to think about who's around me.”

Skyline's Taylor, a senior, set a state record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:46.55.

Shorewood's finish was its highest in recent memory, according to head coach Susie McDowell, in her 13th season as head coach.

“I think as a district we did really well,” McDowell said.

Along with Jackson and Shorewood, Marysville-Pilchuck (13th), Kamiak (15th) and Edmonds-Woodway (20th) finished among the top-20 teams.

All told, Wesco swimmers had a top-three placer in seven of nine individual events.

In the 2A meet, Archbishop Murphy's Amy Renslow finished second in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. Teammate Sarah Bettag was second in the 50 freestyle.