Arbor Heights hosted the 2005 annual Seattle Summer Swim League Southern Division championship and were good hosts, letting just about everyone else beat them of teams from Olympic View, Normandy Park, Gregory Seahurst, Lakeridge, Kent, Marine Hills, and Twin Lakes.

"We took sixth," said coach Casey Murphy, down-headed a little.

But they had fun. And, really, when it gets down brass tacks, so to speak, isn't that really what it is all about?

But it is also about doing better than before, 'shaving off time,' as swim lingoists would call it. And, Arbor Heights did just that, having several swimmers from this pool in White Center that has swimmers age seven to 18 come from far away as West Seattle.

"We took sixth," added coach Rick Wisen. "But we are happy because we had a core group of 40 kids and they maximized their points. There were a lot of kids going from fourth in races before to third this time. Or, better. Like first. Like Joshua Kutz.

The 14-year-old phenom flew threw the water in three events for three firsts. How does that make him feel?

"I don't know, pretty good," said Kutz.

Why are you good?

"I just moved up to King Aquatics last fall," said Kutz of the year-round swim club for dedicated swimmers all over the Puget Sound. "Before I could just do the backstroke, but now I can do all kinds of strokes, except breast."

Why not?

"I don't know, just never got the hang of it," said Kutz.

Kutz likes the backstroke best and he's best at it so perhaps makes sense.

"My training has centered around the backstroke since age 12."

Kutz was first in all this southern meet but last year? "I got a couple seconds and a fourth."

So, King swimming makes sense, and, makes a difference. But is there more than that? No.

Asked if he was working harder since last year, Kutz said, "I don't know about harder. Just longer and more consistently."

Kutz won the 50 freestyle in 24.03 and the 100 in 51.71.

"Both were best times ever," said Kutz.

Now, in the 50 back 14 and under age group, Kutz is very close to setting the all-city record.

"The all-city record is 26.03," said Kutz. "I have gone a 26.40 in a relay (leg)."

Kutz has his work cut out for him, having just done a 27.00 in the back at southerns. He did improve on his preliminary time of 27.65. Kutz is very good.

"He's a backstroker, freestyler," said Wisen. "Great technique. Great endurance."

Besides Kutz' good work in the water, 12-year-old Mariah Crockett took first in the 50 flystroke. But that was only half the battle that Crockett wanted to win.

"I am trying to get the Arbor Heights pool record, 29.79," said Crockett. "She went 29.81, so that's two-hundredths of a second from doing it. All-city looks like a big meet for preparation for Crockett.

Her little sister, Hannah, was with her (13 months older) and both are close enough in age to be both in the 12 and under age group. So, they both are, speaking of records, a bit more off the pace of getting the record from Mariah's individual back two-hundredths off, quite a bit farther off. But that's OK. Hannah says it's gonna happen.

"We are trying to go for the record," said Hannah. "The record is three second less and I've found out it is hard to drop three seconds. It's not as easy as we thought it would be. But we are going to do it or maybe do it in the medley relay, we are four seconds from breaking that record."

Hannah enjoys the time in the chlorine with Mariah.

"In the relays, if I race against her, I'm livid if she beats me," said Hannah. "But I like having her on the team."

Some other notable swims for Arbor Heights, according to coaches Murphy and Wisen, with Murphy herself still has a pool record or two to her credit after many years away now from club swimming, were from the likes of Nathaniel Williams, who won the 25 breast in 15.35, improving his prelims time nicely, which was 16.10.

"It's all about power and technique," said Wisen.

Some others to mention are Lizzy Althauser, fifth in 27.0, in the girls 14 and under 50 free. Madison Graham, fifth, Hana Bohmer, sixth in 26.53, 27.00 in the girls 18 and under 50 free. AH's youngest men, Keegan Chamberlain, Alex MacKenzie, Sam Cook, and Williams took first in 1:26.44, in the boys 8 and under medley relay. In the girls 10 and under medley relay, fourth place belonged to Katie Goucher, Cozette Padon, Tori Zaknich, Claire Hisken in 1:13.87. For girls 14 and under medley relay, Carolyn Samuelson, Lanise Laube, Andrea Aronson and Althauser took fourth in 2:08.68. In the boys 14 and under medley, it was Kutz again, teaming with Daniel Rinker, Jan Nicholas, Dylan Gillies in 1:58.35 for second place. In the girls 18-and-under medley, Bohmer, Graham, along with Molly Bohmer, Lee Westbrook in 2:01.43. Then in the 18-and-under boys medley, AH's Zac Hixson, Mason Heckett, Kyle Homad and Jeff Yeabsley took fourth in 1:46.91. In the boys 8 and under free relay, first was to Casey Lenzie, Cook, MacKenzie and Williams in 1:13.85. In the 14-and-under girls 100 individual medley, Samuelson took sixth in 1:12.84. Bohmer took second in the girls 18-and-under 100 IM in 1:06.09. In the girls 8-and-under 25 free, Julia Denison took third in 17.37.

In the 25 free, Cook took fourth in 17.41. In the 10 and under 50 free, Hisken was sixth in 34.13. In the boys 10-and-under 50 free, Joel Scanlan was sixth in 35.53. Mariah Crockett was third in the 50 free for 12-and-under girls in 27.28. Althauser was fourth in the 14-and-under 100 free in 59.63. In the boys 18-and-under, Homad was second in the 100 free in 50.93. In the boys 8-and-under 25 back, Cook did it for first in 21.29. In the boys 18-and-under 50 back, Hixson was third in 27.66. In the girls 8-and-under 25 breast, Denison was sixth in 24.44. In the girls 10-and-under 50 breast, Padon was third in 43.75. In the boys 10-and-under 50 breast, Trent Wood took fourth in 44.71. In the girls 12-and-under 50 breast, Anna Hixson took fourth in 37.25. In the boys 12-and-under 50 breast, Carter Denison took fifth in 41.09. In the boys 14-and-under 50 breast, Daniel Rinker took fourth in 35.91 and Wes Wangerin was fifth in 36.40. In the girls 18 and under 50 breast Graham placed second in 33.47. In the boys 18-and-under 50 breast, Mason Heckett took sixth in 30.35. In the boys 8-and-under 25 fly, MacKenzie showed for third in 23.63. In the girls 10-and-under 25 fly, Padon came in fifth in 16.60. In the boys 14-and-under 50 fly, Jan Nichols took sixth in 29.69. In the girls 18-and-under 50 fly, Bohmer took fifth in 30.19. In the boys 18-and-under 50 fly, Homad showed for third in 25.34.

In the free relays, 10 and under girls Hisken, Laube, Tori Zaknich and Padon took fourth in 2:15.91. In the girls 12-and-under free relay, Mariah Crockett, Hannah Crockett, Claire Fritts and Emily Mitchell altogether finished third in 1:58.37. In the girls 14-and-under, Andrea Aronson, Katie Crha, Althauser and Samuelson touched second in 1:49.55. In the girls 18-and-under free relay, Lee Westbrook Molly Bohmer, Hana Bohmer, and Graham took fifth in 1:47.44.