SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The swimming and diving championships at the West Central District 4A meet were mostly good for Federal Way area schools. Decatur took fourth place overall at the Rogers pool Saturday, Feb. 3.

"Fourth place, we will take that," said Decatur coach Rick Dennison, who coached the Gators to the 4A state title two years ago. Decatur has won districts a handful of times in the last five years, including being district champs in '03 and '04.

Scores in this meet were: Gig Harbor 200, Curtis 196, Mount Tahoma 160, Decatur 81, Wilson 75, South Kitsap 68, Stadium 65, Olympia 61, Beamer 58, Federal Way 54, Central Kitsap 54, Kentridge 46, Kentwood 43, Foss 41, Kentlake 34, Tahoma 23, Rogers 23, Puyallup 22, North Kitsap 22, Lincoln 6, Jefferson 5.

The state meet follows this district meet taking place this Friday and Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

The Gators took one bad thing that happened to them this districts meet without it hurting them much, if at all, as they were 101 points behind third place Mount Tahoma before a DQ in a 200 medley relay stung a little bit.

"We made a change this morning. I had a swimmer in his fifth event in two days and you can only enter a swimmer in four events. I just missed it," said Dennison. "It was a move we made, a bad one. My error, not the kids."

But it didn't hurt much , emphasize 'little bit,' as it turned out, for the Gators' overall placement at the WCD meet was what it would be being 101 points behind Mount Tahoma in the end.

Also, a DQ in the same medley relay race was given unfortunately to Federal Way. Head Eagles coach Carla Boone was asked about the DQ of her relay team in the 200 medley and she put it bluntly.

"I didn't think we were(disqualified)," she said.

Dennison agreed, 'No, it didn't look like their guy left (the block) early."

But there was the issue of the swimmer's feet leaving the block and that registering the false start. Right?

"No, it was not electronic, it was a judgment call," said Dennison. "It was too bad. They had it on video and wouldn't allow instant replay."

But the judges said it was too good to leave off the blocks following the other FW swimmer touching the wall and that settled it -- DQ for both and no state for either. Still it was OK as life is like that sometimes and these swimmers overcame that to make it in other events to state.

Swimmers splash off to state

By Ed Shepherd / Sports Correspondent

Federal Way had good state qualifying swims from their guys in other events, including another relay with seniors Eric Ball and Andy Racus and juniors Cameron Moak and Brian Shaw notching fifth in the 200 free relay in 1:36.38.

The Gators also qualified for state in the 400 free relay, with sophomores Robert Sobus and Keith Arns along with juniors Sean Helms and Tommy Cunningham finishing in a time of 3:32.59.

Cunningham swam at state last year but failed to place high.

"I wasn't as quick last year," he said. "I have a personal trainer now along with my coach at King (Sean Hutchinson)."

It is yet to be seen if Cunningham can get to where he wants to get at state. "I want to be top three," but he is certainly with a couple good pre-efforts to the biggest of events for high school swimming. He took fifth place in both the 50 freestyle, in 22.84 and the 100 free, in 50.93.

Cunningham embodies these state high school swimmers that not only give a 100 percent effort every time they dip into the water but also have dedication.

"I have been swimming three hours a day and seven days a week," said Cunningham. "I've done Marine Hills (summer swim league) since age six and club since eight."

Notably doing well too was Arns, who was fifth in 100 butterfly in 56.33 and fourth in the 100 free in 22.76, just eight hundredths ahead of Cunningham. It should be a good battle between the two at state.

The Thomas Jefferson Raiders just missed a state qualification from their school when senior Jay Barfield it was learned after his race took ninth. The top seven get allocated to state. Still, this is as far as Barfield has made it and that is something to hang a hat on any day of the week. Improvement is the name of the game and Barfield has done it three years now since swimming as a sophomore.

But state was the plum that Barfield was going after.

"I've been here all the years I've swam, improving," said Barfield.

State was the goal this year?

"I was trying for that. I was aiming for an allocation spot and just fell short," he said.

Barfield was trying to get past a certain time all season and finally got it.

"When you are stuck at a certain time, he was at '01' for a long time, it is hard to get over it, but he managed," said his Raiders coach, Wendy Neely.

Barfield's time was 1:00.15 in the 100 backstroke at districts -- likely his last swimming event of three years now in the Raiders boys swimming program under Neely.

One could see slight disappointment in Barfield's expression but he was quickly lifted by his coach when she said in the face of his defeat of not getting to state, "There are wild card spots and you could still get in. It just depends on a lot of things."

See she just made you feel better.

"Thank you," said Barfield, looking at his coach.

Nothing to hang his head over for sure, even if the wild card way of getting to state is not done.

"He had his best time, lifetime best time, so it was a good race for him," said Neely.

In another good racing performance, Eric Ball of Federal Way did well in the 100 breaststroke, second place in 1:04.45, and, junior teammate Cameron Moak took sixth in the 100 free, in 51.02, just behind Cunningham's time by nine hundredths of a second.

Boone enjoyed the district meet?

"Absolutely," she said.

The most fun?

"Swimmers going to state," she said.

The Todd Beamer Titans had Shane Clare take third place in the 200 Individual Medley in 2:04.80 and also their diver, Tommy Fraychineaud took third in the diving competition with 285 points. He was in back of second, 294, and first, 319.25.