Wolves swimmers stroke way to easy win

South Kitsap’s boys swim team will enter the New Year with a perfect record.

The Wolves ensured that by dominating every race during Tuesday’s 145-31 win at Lincoln.

With more than 60 swimmers and divers in the program, coach Tami Lester-Dame used the meet as a mix-and-match of sorts. She had some junior-varsity swimmers in events normally manned.

“It was a good opportunity to get some JV kids in varsity events,” Lester-Dame said. “It gave them an opportunity to get some league times.”

After a couple of blowout wins against Mount Tahoma and at Shelton to begin the season, the Wolves (4-0) hosted Central Kitsap last week. Despite losing all three relays, South pulled out a 101-85 win.

“We had some different kids in different events trying to counteract what I knew they had coming back,” Lester-Dame said.

She was referring in particular to a pair of sophomores — Jason Soria and Brendon Weiner. At the Class 4A swim and dive championships in February, Weiner placed 18th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 51.8 seconds, and Soria was 18th in the 200 individual medley, in 2:06.45, and ninth in the 100 breaststroke, in 1:02.37.

But both, along with several South competitors, swam different events. Lester-Dame said she might shuffle her lineup again after the break when the Wolves host Gig Harbor on Jan. 7.

“It gave me a good idea of how I want to do things against Gig Harbor,” she said. “We have a few more horses this year.”

With a revised lineup, the Wolves did not have a state-qualifying time against Lincoln but Lester-Dame noted that they already have six this season. Freshman Damien DeRego finished first in the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 16.15 seconds to achieve a district-qualifying time.

Even though they will not have a meet during the next few weeks, Lester-Dame said the team will remain busy preparing for their Jan. 5 contest against Olympia and Gig Harbor.

“We have quite a few practices scheduled over the break because we start right away,” she said. “We’re in a good place right now.”

Tuesday

South Kitsap 145, at Lincoln 31

200 medley relay: 1, South Kitsap (Brandon Dravis, Justin Slezak, Dane Johnson, Michael Idle) 1:33.34. 200 freestyle: 1, Taylor Rousell (SK) 1:59.09. 200 individual medley: 1, Damien DeRego (SK) 2:16.15. 50 freestyle: 1, Joe Beverage (SK) 24.16. Diving: 1, Joe Rose (SK) 174.9. 100 butterfly: 1, David Swinney (SK) 1:07.31. 100 freestyle: 1, Dixon Hammer (SK) 1:04.31. 500 freestyle: 1, Idle (SK) 6:27.94. 200 freestyle relay: 1, South Kitsap (DeRego, Dravis, Slezak, Rousell) 1:44.59. 100 backstroke: 1, Dravis (SK) 1:04.88. 100 breaststroke: 1, Slezak (SK) 1:07.28. 400 freestyle relay: 1, South Kitsap (Hammer, Idle, DeRego, Rousell) 3:57.57.

Dec. 10

At South Kitsap 101, Central Kitsap 85

200 medley relay: 1, Central Kitsap (Jason Soria, Jeremy Torres, Brendon Weiner, Tyler Hirata) 1:42.74. 200 freestyle: 1, Damien DeRego (SK) 2:01.56. 200 individual medley: 1, Brandon Dravis (SK) 2:03.44. 50 freestyle: 1, Torres (CK) 23.72. Diving: 1, Joe Rose (SK) 206.25. 100 butterfly: 1, Taylor Rousell (SK) 53.89. 100 freestyle: 1, Hirata (CK) 50.8. 500 freestyle: 1, Rousell (SK) 5:17.43. 200 freestyle relay: 1, Central Kitsap (John Mackovjak, James Mackovjak, Alex Clithero, Ben Cheung) 1:45.35. 100 backstroke: 1, Dravis (SK) 56.32. 100 breaststroke: 1, Torres (CK) 1:04.16. 400 freestyle relay: 1, Central Kitsap (Hirata, Soria, Weiner, Torres) 3:29.75.

Contact Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Chris Chancellor at cchancellor@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

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