Gig Harbor’s Grant Huston caps high school swim career with pair of state titles
Just a few months ago, Grant Huston wasn’t sure he’d even be able to get in a pool. An injury to his right ear required surgery in September.
But not only did the Gig Harbor senior manage to return for the 2023-24 boys swimming season, he culminated his final high school year in style at King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way on Saturday morning.
The lanky Tides freestyler won both the 200 and 100 frees at the 3A state meet, capturing 40 of Gig Harbor’s 139 team points as the Tides finished sixth overall in the team race.
“I’d like to say it was a surprise,” Gig Harbor coach Mike Kelly said. “But I don’t really think it was for either of us. He’s a very laid-back guy. So you wouldn’t know the level of competitiveness in him.”
Huston was one of three double winners in the 3A meet, joining Lakeside senior Alvin Zhang and O’Dea senior Jack Skarda. Zhang’s victories in the 50 free and 100 butterfly helped the Lions to win their first state team title since 2013, 254-170 over runner-up O’Dea.
“I really was just focused on winning the team title,” Zhang said. “If my winning my individual events helped us do that, great.”
Defending champion Mercer Island was seventh, eight points behind the Tides, who technically led the meet for two days thanks to divers James Ferrier, Wriley Savage and John Coplinger, and the way sessions are scheduled for the championships.
Ferrier finished second, Savage sixth and Coplinger 12th in the diving competition that made up the state meet’s first day on Thursday. That meant that when Huston won the first of his two individual titles in the 200-yard freestyle the Tides were still on top of the team standings with 55 points.
That didn’t dampen what was a successful day for Huston and the contingent from across the Narrows Bridge.
“I’m really happy with the way this year turned out,” Huston said. “A few months ago it looked like I might be out of the pool permanently. I’m just really happy was able to get surgery, recover and now I’m back in and just won two events at state.”
The second overall qualifier in the 200 free from Friday’s prelims, Huston smoothly and quickly established a lead over top qualifier Bob Frazer from Bellevue. By the halfway mark, it was Huston by more than a body length and the senior finished in an all-America Consideration time of 1:39.29, more than two seconds ahead of Frazer’s 1:41.75.
Huston later added the 100 free title, going 45.41 to beat Snohomish’s Torsten Hokanson’s by more than a second (46.47). Huston’s efforts did not earn him the Swimmer of the Meet, though. That award went to Skarda, who won the 200 individual medley in an all-America Consideration time of 1:51.09 and added the 100 breast in an automatic all-America time of 54.48.
For Huston, it didn’t matter. He was focused on accomplishments closer to home. Like extending the family legacy in the pool for Gig Harbor.
“Two years ago, my sophomore year, I was 14,” Huston said. “My brother (Drew) won the 200 IM, got the school record. So it’s been something I’ve been trying to chase down. I took his record in the 100 free. I’m all over the school record board now, so I’m happy about that. This was just a great meet.”
Sumner’s Wilson Triumphs, Skyline Takes Title
Skyline didn’t win a single individual event. Sumner senior Tanner Wilson did. Both took home awards and accolades.
Wilson swam 55.63 to win the 100 breaststroke and a quick 49.16 to finish second in the 100 butterfly, performances that allowed him to out-point a pair of double winners on Saturday to earn the Swimmer of the Meet award for the Spartans, who scored 76 points overall and finished 13th.
Skyline got big points out of its relays and added at least one Top 8 finisher in all eight of the swimming events on Saturday to fend off defending champ Newport, 285-276, and win their third state team title in the last five seasons.
Skyline won back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020. The 2021 season did not have a state meet due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tahoma was the top local finisher as a team, placing fourth with 161 points.
Lake Stevens junior Camden Blevins-Mohr swam 49.07 to beat Wilson in the 100 butterfly. Blevins-Mohr also won the 50 free. He joined Redmond junior Jaiden Sreenivasan, who came from an outside lane to grab the 200 free in 1:40.20 and then added the other distance race, the 500 free, in 4:35.47.
Fife Top 6 in 2A
The Pullman Greyhounds were in front from the open leg of the first event – the 200 medley relay – on Saturday night. They never looked back.
Pullman won half (four of eight) of the individual swimming events, two of three relays, and raced off with its second consecutive 2A team title at King County Aquatics Center, 332-289, over runner-up Sammamish.
Fife was the highest finishing local, finishing sixth in the 400 free relay to jump into six overall at 101 points. Trojans coach Jo Bushnell was named the 2A Coach of the Year.
William Miller set a new meet record for Pullman in the 100 free, swimming 45.48 seconds to eclipse North Kitsap’s Isaac Beers (45.81) from 2022. Teammate Ben Madson also set a meet record with his 48.61 in the 100 back, adding that title to his 50 free and earning Swimmer of the Meet.
The third meet record came courtesy of Bellingham’s Miles Cratsenberg in the 200 Free. He swam 1:37.32 to break his own mark from a year ago of 1:37.75. Cratsenberg later added the 500 free title in 4:33.97.
This story was originally published February 17, 2024 at 1:54 PM.