Marysville blows Seagulls out of the water

Five hundred yards is a long way, especially in the water. When swimming that far there is enough time to review race strategy for this meet and the next — and even a little left over to think about alternatives to swimming more than a quarter of a mile.

By Travis Sherer • September 30, 2010 1:00 pm
Karoline Schaufler makes a turn during the 500 butterfly race. She finished first with a time of 6:02.62.
Karoline Schaufler makes a turn during the 500 butterfly race. She finished first with a time of 6:02.62.

MARYSVILLE — Five hundred yards is a long way, especially in the water.

When swimming that far there is enough time to review race strategy for this meet and the next — and even a little left over to think about alternatives to swimming more than a quarter of a mile.

It was in this spirit that Marysville-Pilchuck swimmers Jewel LeValley and Karoline Schaufler approached their coach to mix things up and change the race from a freestyle to a butterfly Sept. 23.

“I have been wanting to do this since I was a freshman,” said LeValley, a senior.

Why the change?

“It’s the most difficult stroke to continue doing correctly,” said LeValley.

“It was just something that sounded like lots of fun and just a change,” said Schaufler, who finished the race in 6:02.62 and was one of the first-place finishers that helped the Lady Tomahawks sweep the top spots against Everett for a win 139-41.

“That was something that they wanted to do, so I contacted (Everett coach) Paul Bolme because we didn’t want to shortchange them, and they were fine with it,” said M-P Jaci LeGore-Hodgins.

M-P had a different swimmer win each of the nine individual races, starting with Rosemary Mohr, who finished the 200-yard freestyle in 2:20.68. Mohr was followed by senior Ava Commissariat, who won the 200 medley (2:40) and Melody Travis won the 50 free (28.47).

Senior diver Marysa Eastman took top honors off the board, earning 175.65 points.

Hannah Taylor continued her dominance in the 100 fly (59.33), while Rachel Hartmeyer took first in the 100 free (1:00.23) and LeValley was first in the 100 backstroke (1:08.09). Senior Amanda Collins won the 100 breaststroke with a 1:20.73 finish.

The Tommies, who improved their record to 2-1, also won all three relays, starting with the 200 medley, with Rachel Hartmeyer, Mohr, Taylor and Lia Mullen-Gaffney combining for a time of 2:05.03.

Travis, LeValley, Commissariat and Taylor won the 200 free relay, finishing in 1:48.94 and LeValley, Commissariat, Nicole Reynolds and Taylor won the 400 free in 4:10.35.

So far, the Tommies picked up where they left off, with impressive wins against Shorewood and Stanwood earlier this season.