State champs! Curtis swimmers take their first 4A team title in school history

The Curtis Vikings had come close in recent years. But they’d not been able to climb to the top of the podium at the 4A girls state swimming championships – not until Saturday at King County Aquatic Center.

Curtis scored points in every event, starting with Vivian Keough’s fifth-place finish in the diving competition that took place on Thursday and ending with a fourth in the 4x100 freestyle relay to beat runner-up Jackson, 301-171, to secure the program’s first-ever state team title. The Vikings finished second in 2019 and 2021.

“I’m just so proud of the kids,” first-year Curtis coach Ashley Guidoux said. “They deserve all of the credit for this one. They worked so hard this season.”

From the moment Hayden Hoover, Lauren Ledesma and Madison Wolfe combined to put 17 team points on the board in the meet’s second event – the 200-yard freestyle – the Vikings were in control. Curtis never trailed in this meet from that moment on after its 200 medley team won the first of two relay titles for the team on Saturday.

Curtis later added the 200 free relay title in 1 minute, 38.83 seconds. The Vikings won just one individual event in the meet. Alexis Bernardo swam 24.31 seconds to take the 50 free championship.

“It’s my first time swimming for high school,” said Bernardo, a junior. “So I didn’t expect it. I’m really excited.”

Bernardo added a second place finish in the 100 free later in the meet.

Kennedy Catholic sophomore Hailey Weiler had the individual day to remember. Weiler was one of two swimmers in the 4A meet to earn two individual titles. She also swam the anchor leg of the winning 400 relay to close out the meet as the Lancers finished third as a team.

Weiler began her day with a victory in the 200 individual medley in 2:06.59. She added the 100 backstroke title in 55.99 seconds to earn the Swimmer of the Meet award over the other double winner – Ava Swigart of Lewis & Clark, also a sophomore.

Swigart won the two distance races – the 200 free and 500 free.

“I’m just really happy,” said Weiler, who qualified first in both events at Friday’s prelims. “I was a little confident coming in. I was nervous, always am. But I just went and tried my best.”

Save for that Swimmer of the Meet award, the afternoon really belonged to Curtis, though. Guidoux, who has two daughters on the Vikings team, has coached before and says she has a passion for it. When Aaron Hughes stepped down, Guidoux (a 1999 Curtis grad and four-year swimmer and water polo player as a Viking) applied and got the job.

And in less than a year, she’s got a state title — something her swimmers were excited about.

“I’m really happy with it,” Bernardo said. “I didn’t really expect it going into the season.”

Mercer Island (again) in 3A

Per usual, it was an all-King County race for the team title.

Mercer Island didn’t quite dominate as the Islanders did in winning the title for the first time since 2013 a year ago, scoring a record 385 team points. But they still beat runner-up Bellevue to grab a second consecutive championship, 314-207.

“What made today really beautiful is knowing that I had two seniors,” Mercer Island coach Chauntelle Johnson said. “We also had a lot of juniors and sophomores, and a couple of freshmen, that got experience today.”

The Islanders won seven of nine individual events and scored a record 385 points a year ago. They got two individual victories from senior Piper Enge (200 IM, 100 breast) and a first and second from sophomore Gracyn Kehoe (200 free, 100 free).

Mercer Island scored points in 11 of the 12 events overall, only failing to place anyone in the 100 backstroke. Enge’s swim in the breaststroke arguably was the best swim ever in Washington, boys or girls.

Enge became the first girl in Washington high school history to break a minute in the event, swimming a blistering 58.95 seconds. Not only did the swim break her own record set two years ago, it was the fifth fastest time recorded in high school history nationally.

By the National Swim Coaches Association Power Point Tables, a system that allows comparisons across time, events and swims, the 58.95 netted Enge 172 out of a possible 200 points. That is the highest single-swim score ever in Washington – boys or girls.

“I knew it was coming,” said Enge, who was . “I’d been trying to get under 59. I’d gone a 59 a couple of times during my club season. I’m super happy to finally get it done.”

It is the eighth team title overall for Mercer Island, which won six in a row from 2008-2013 before climbing back to the top last season.

This story was originally published November 11, 2023 at 6:11 PM.