It's easy to see who the top girls swim and dive team will be this year after still undefeated Seamount League team Kennedy just beat until Thursday undefeated Mount Rainier, 106-84, at the Mount Rainier Pool.

Everything was dominating except the best race of the night in which the Rams' Molly Larson, in the 100 breaststroke, beat the Lancers' Allie Vetterlein so closely, 1:09.90 to 1:09.99.

First places went to the Lancers in all the other races.

"If we're not the fastest team in the state, we are close," said Lancers head coach, Marc Stock, who coaches diving as well and that category won, too, with Courtney Strong, first, and teammate; Danielle Roush, second.

Those two divers have been back-and-forth all season.

"I think Danielle's won four and Courtney, two," said Stock.

This team was fourth at state last year with virtually all returning including the divers who both made it to state last year.

Neither made it to the second day, however, and that is where points come in to play for the overall scoring.

"Diving could be pretty important, but state is going to be tough because there are a lot of good divers," said Stock.

Roush was second on this day, 161.10 points, off her usual '180s' scores, she said. Strong had 172.50 points. All four, like the two teams coming in, were undefeated until the Lancers' two beat the Rams' two of Stephanie Chu and Liz Nugent.

Roush was happy this day didn't matter.

"I was off today," said Roush. "I usually score 20 points higher."

Roush said that she and Strong have been friends a long time and that's helped their diving.

"We've known each other since kindergarten," said Roush, a Lancers captain. "It will be interesting to see how far we can push each other. I just missed the cut for the second day and Courtney was right behind me."

What about diving and how that could decide a No. 1 or No.2 finish for you, any number 1-10 on the importance you think diving could be to your team?

"It would help us. Diving would help a lot," said Roush.

No number?

"No, no number," said Roush laughing. "It would help a lot."

Diving gives 20 points to first place, 18 to second place and a little less points down the line for all of the top 10. In a close state championship in the past like has been several times, 10-120 points has decided the top one from the top two.

Chu, who had a 157.60 score, admitted she dived better her last three dives than her first three and that this also was not as big a deal to her as what was coming the day after.

"We have a state-qualifying 11-dive meet that I am trying to prepare for," said Chu, whose teammate, Nugent was fourth with 150.40. "It is easier to qualify in it than in dual meets where you have to score 280 points."

Stock mostly coaches the diving and assistant Erin Dunn coaches the swimming portion.

Brianne Lindblad is very fast for the Lancers at a lot of events including the one that quickly picks out the fastest swimmer of all, the 50-yard freestyle, which she won in 25.01. She also won the second fastest race, showing pure speed for a little longer distance, the 100 free, winning it in 56.01.

Lindblad was very good as a sophomore and one can guess not much will change with being a junior. She was first in the 100 back and fourth in the 50 free.

Lindblad did not talk about herself, choosing instead to talk about the team and doing better than last year's fourth place finish.

"I hope we can get better than last year. If we have some really good swims we can definitely be top three," she said.

Other winners for the Lancers against the Rams were from sophomore Nikki Vetterlein winning the 100 back in 1:02.46 and freshman Emily Fenster winning the 500 free in 5:20.51 and the 200 free in 1:58.59. Her teammate in the 500 was Casey Hoffman, in 5:35.92.

"She's (Casey) one of the toughest girls I know," said Stock. "I think if she really works hard she could get to state."

Allie Vetterlein won the 200 Individual Medley for the Lancers, in 2:14.46, getting that win over Larson's 2:20.45 before Larson nabbed her at the wire in the 100 breast a little later.

"She will get her next time," said Stock.

"I've been working on revamping my stroke in club swimming, trying to find my holds," said Allie Vetterlein.

Relay wins all went to the Lancers who used Fenster, Lindblad, Vetterlein and Vetterlein on the 200 medley for a 1:52.62 win and others like Casey Hoffman and Katie Jovanovich on the 200 and 400 relays. Just a lot of fast girls is what it all comes down to for the Lancers, even though a lot of fast girls does not translate to deep talent.

"We only have 30 girls, I think Mount Rainier has 40 some kids, but what we do have is speed, we are blessed with that."

Stock said that losing to Mercer Island, it's only loss, an outside league meet by 15 points, would have been a lot closer with depth.

"We won everything but four events and we would have won all but two but lost the breaststroke by nine hundredths and the 400 free relay lost by one one-hundredth of a second," said Stock.

Rams coach Omar Crowder was happy with what he saw from Liz Althauser.

"She dropped nine seconds off her 500 free time," he said.

He mentioned Larson's good race, saying, "She's our standout and has qualified for state already in that event."

He also mentioned the 400 free relay of Haley Gansneder, Larson, Maria Rice, Althauser has qualified for state.

He said, "Rice is very solid, she could do well in a lot of events."

Danae and Brianne Cook are good for doing well at districts."