In one sense, the girls swimming state championships were a repeat performance for Columbia River’s Monica Bottelberghe.The junior won the Class 3A 200-yard freestyle race during Saturday’s finals at the King County Aquatic Center. And Bottelberghe finished a close second in the 100-yard freestyle. The places mirrored her finishes a year ago. But the times were faster, making this meet plenty satisfying.
“I love the high school state meet. It’s just so intense,” Bottelberghe said. “Both were best times for me, so I’m very happy.”Julia Sanders of Hockinson also had a happy Saturday, winning two more Class 2A state titles to finish her high school career with 10 gold medals.
In the Class 3A 200 freestyle, Bottelberghe’s winning time was 1 minute, 50.05 seconds, good enough for All-American consideration. Her previous fastest 200 freestyle was 1:50.55.
In the 100 freestyle, Bottelberghe finished in an automatic All-American time of 50.91 seconds. That was .31 of a second behind mead’s Anna Keane, but faster than Bottelberghe’s previous PR of 51.16 in the race.
“We always have a battle in the 100. It’s always really fun to race her,” said Bottleberghe, who has raced Keane both at the high school state championships and in club competition.
Also in the 3A meet, Mountain View sophomore Darya Samiee finished fifth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:13.65) and Hudson’s Bay junior Carlee Cannon placed sixth in the 100-yard backstroke (58.98).
With victories in the Class 2A 200-yard individual medley and in the 100-yard butterfly on Saturday, Hockinson’s Sanders became a 10-time state champion.
Sanders won both races easily. In the 200 individual medley, her time of 2:05.9 was almost five seconds faster than the runner-up. Seton Catholic junior Ada Beale placed sixth in that race (2:18.02)
In the 100 butterfly, Sanders’ 56.61 was more than two seconds ahead of her closest competitor.
Sanders won two individual championships in each of her four high school seasons — including the butterfly four times — along with swimming on two Hockinson relay championship teams in 2009.
In the 4A meet, Union’s Andrea Young placed sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:11.25. She also placed eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.84).
