Two BISC swimmers set nationally ranked times at KCAC.
Another meet, another round of medals for the members of the Bainbridge Island Swim Club – but this time it comes with some big-time recognition.
At the Pacific Northwest Swimming Short Course Championships in Federal Way on Dec. 7-9, Todd McCarthy won the boys’ 11-12 100 yard backstroke event with a time of 1:01.09.
The time was good enough to put him second in the nation for his age group in the event in the short course yardage category as recognized by USA Swimming.
McCarthy also won the 100 individual medley with a time of 1:05.72 and placed first in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:09.30.
He bettered that time Jan. 12 with a mark of 2:08.69 to move up to second in the nation in that event.
McCarthy is also ranked ninth in the nation in the 50 yard backstroke with a time of 29.42.
All of which is quite impressive considering he just started in the backstroke last year.
“He’s really coming along,” BISC head coach Bob Miller said. “He’s going to be good. He’s going to be big too.”
Along with McCarthy, Kim Williams won all six events she was entered in the 10 and under age category.
She won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:10.48, the 100 freestyle with a time of 59.94, the 50 freestyle with a time of 27.38, the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:09.63 and the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:29.36.
She also won the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:39.24, bettering the old record in that event by five seconds and ending up with the fourth-best time in the nation in that event.
According to her mom, Brenda, she’s got her eyes on improving her place in the 500 freestyle at upcoming meets.
“Kim loves to race,” she said.
Williams also has a nationally ranked time of 30.91 in the 50 freestyle, which was set Jan. 5 and a nationally ranked time of 2:26.42 in the 200 individual medley set in Oct. 2007.
Williams was also part of the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay team along with Natalie Ackerley, Mikelle Ackerley and Alison Brooks that took first in both events.
For her efforts, she was given the high point award for being the top scorer in her age category.
“Kim is great,” Miller said. “To be a well-conditioned, top competitive swimmer at age 10, she does everything well.
“She listens, she does what you ask her to do and she applies what she’s told to her practices,” Miller said.
“She wanted to be at the top level on the team – I said ‘wait until you’re 11,’ and she said ‘well let me try it,’” he continued, noting that she’s been attending practice as much as she can.
“She’s training like crazy.”
Along with the top times and the recognition, there’s also the attention paid to their success, but Miller doesn’t think it will affect them.
Also having success at the PNS championships were Todd’s brother Andrew, who won the boys’ 13-14 1650 yard freestyle in a time of 17:16.16 and was second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:02.38.
The boys 10 and under relay team of Sam Alpaugh, Jack Peirano, Bret Baldwin and CJ Waite took second in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:23.38 and third in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 2:10.38.
Individually, Alpaugh took second in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 18:48.03 while Waite placed second in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 38.22 and third in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:45.50.
On the girls’ side, Brooks was third in the 500 freestyle with a time of 6:03.47 while Natalie was third in the 50 backstroke with a time of 36.35 and Cameo Hlebasko took second in the girls’ 13-14 1650 freestyle with a time of 18:36.51.
Overall, the “Bluefins” took fifth out of 43 teams participating in the event, a big accomplishment as Miller said they only had 24 swimmers while many teams bring 50 or more.
“We were in fourth place with one day left,” he said. “Cascade Swim Club (a club that he founded) thought that there was a mistake.”
Miller also said that four kids have already qualified for the Pacific Northwest Zone team, which is made up of swimmers from around the Northwest.
“These kids are a lot more into the program,” he said, noting that many of them are more focused than in other places he’s coached. “In other words, when I tell them to do something, they do it. They don’t goof off as much.”
It’s the volume of work – practices four nights a week along with dryland workouts and other conditioning activities – that makes them who they are.
“It’s a lot of work,” Miller said. “When they get to be 14, 15, they’ll be the better swimmers on the high school team.”
That work has paid off in the form of the numerous BISC records broken.
Miller said they put up a new board a year and a half ago and already many of the times have had to be replaced.
“We’ve got three new records that I’ve had to put up already,” he said. “It’s quite motivational. They’re always looking at it and seeing what records they can break.”
“We’ve got a pretty good young group.”
Up next for BISC is the sectional meet at KCAC in March.
**********************************************************
● Watch Kim Williams’ performance in the 200 freestyle at the 2007 PNS Short Course Championships at http://youtube.com/watch?v=ALChYz-vVb0
