The girls swim team traveled to State in Federal Way on Nov. 15 and 16, taking home second place, the highest that Wenatchee High School has ever placed at State.

“I feel like we stepped it up a lot this year,” said sophomore Audrey Parrish. “We came out how we wanted to, and met our goal. We were all focused on our individual events, but yet we wanted to beat our relay records, and I think everybody was ready to go and swim their best.”

WHS beat 39 other teams at State behind the Newport team from Bellevue. According to predictions prior to the meet, both Gig Harbor and Skyline were expected to beat the Panthers, who were expected to get fourth, but both fell back as Wenatchee remained steady and strong.

Wenatchee scored its 137.5 points through various individual events and relays. In the 50 freestyle, senior Hannah Bruggman placed third and senior Rachel Wilt placed 13th. Freshman Jessica Wierzbicki placed fifth in the 100 butterfly, and in the 100 freestyle, Bruggman placed second, and sophomore Audrey Parrish placed eighth.

In the diving category, sophomore Ali Brandt placed fifth, followed by senior Randi Roberts who placed 22nd.

The 200 medley relay — Bruggman, senior Katherine Robinson, Wierzbicki, and Wilt — broke the school record by three seconds and placed third in the meet. The 200  freestyle relay — Parrish, Dressel, Wilt, and Peterson — broke a school record by half of a second and placed fourth in the meet. The 400 freestyle relay — Parrish, Dressel, Peterson, and Bruggman — placed third at the meet, breaking the school record by seven seconds.

“I thought we could beat [Gig Harbor and Skyline],” said Head Coach James Elwyn.  “We knew we’d beat them in the last relay, as long as we were not disqualified.”