Camas wins back-to-back 4A state boys swimming titles

FEDERAL WAY — The Camas boys swim team, coming off a day of state prelims that finished short of its expectations, gathered together in the hotel the night before its biggest meet of the season.

They analyzed best possible outcomes, worst possible outcomes and what time each swimmer needed to get and how many places they’d need to jump in order to walk away from the 4A state meet repeat champions.

“Coming here today we got all of our doubts out of the way,” Camas senior Mark Kim said. “Only thing we could do was make the best out of today, and we did.”

The Papermakers walked away Saturday from the King County Aquatic Center state champions, now back-to-back years.

As the public address announcer crowned the Papermakers 4A champions, there were tears of celebration as the team embraced with the trophy.

But for Kim, who finishes high school a two-time individual state champion, along with two team titles, the triumphant end of the season brought him back four years.

As a freshman, he said, members of the Camas boys team had to convince him to join the school team. He was hesitant. Now at the end of his high school campaign, he’s thankful for the opportunity.

“I really didn’t want to do it,” Kim, who is signed to swim at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said, “but these past four years have changed my life. I met all these guys, built a family and I wouldn’t take it back for anything.”

Kim was a two-time defending champion in the 200 freestyle going into Saturday. He finished second. He also finished third in the 500 free. His race felt good, he said, but when he finished, and turned to look at the scoreboard, he shook his head in dismay. He knew that from a team standpoint, there was still plenty of work to do.

And other Papermakers delivered.

Eric Wu finished second in the 200 individual medley (1:52.14), and the 100 butterfly (49.79), narrowly in front of Jaden Kim, who finished third in the 100 fly with a time of 50.20. Christopher Xia finished fifth in the 50 free in 21.89 seconds, then sixth in the 100 free in 47.90 seconds.

Camas won the 200 free relay, too. Going into the last event, the 400 free relay, the Papermakers knew they needed to place in the top-three to win it all.

They won when Xia, Kim, Finn McClone, Jaden Kim and Mark Kim finished in 3:08.74. McClone pulled through despite fighting a lingering groin injury from districts.

“The adrenaline was pumping,” McClone said. “It hurt during my race, but to win state, it’s worth it.”

Two other Clark County programs were represented.

Union’s Val Tikhomirov advanced to the final heat and placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.20. And Battle Ground’s 200 free relay team of Marcello Lombardi, Seth Colpitts, Alex Curran and Sam Anderson, finished eighth with a time of 1:29.24.

4A STATE FINALS
At Federal Way
Team scores: 1, Camas 232; 2, Kamiak 182; 3, Wenatchee 167. Also: 16, Battle Ground 16; 28, Union 12.
State champion, plus locals
200 medley relay—1, Issaquah (Kyle Millis, Blake Ueda, Christopher Leu, Brandon Leu), 1:36.45; 9, Camas (Finn McClone, Austin Fogel, Jaden Kim, Eric Wu), 1:35.01.
200 free—1, Alexander Wright (Olympia), 1:40.53; 2, Mark Kim (Camas), 1:41.48; 9, Finn McClone (Camas), 1:44.41.
200 individual medley—1, Jonathan Cook (Jackson), 149.15; 2, Eric Wu (Camas), 1:52.14.
50 freestyle—1, Matthew King (Glacier Peak), 20.54; 5, Christopher Xia (Camas), 21.89.
100 fly—1, Skyler Younkin (Hanford), 49.10; 2, Eric Wu (Camas), 49.79; 3, Jaden Kim (Camas), 50.20.
100 free—1, Matthew King (Gonzaga Prep), 45.74; 6, Christopher Xia (Camas), 47.90.
500 free—1, Alexander Wright (Olympia), 4:30.21; 3, Mark Kim (Camas), 4:39.60; 11, Austin Fogel (Camas), 4:55.04.
200 free relay—1, Camas (Eric Wu, Jaden Kim, Christopher Xia, Mark Kim), 1:26.53. Also: 8, Battle Ground (Marcello Lombardi, Seth Colpitts, Alex Curran, Sam Anderson), 1:29.24.
100 back—1, Kyle Mills (Issaquah), 48.92; 9, Finn McClone (Camas), 53.71.
100 breast—1, Jonathan Cook (Jackson), 55.12; 7, Val Tikhomirov (Union), 58.20.
400 free—1, Camas (Christopher Xia, Finn McClone, Jaden Kim, Mark Kim), 3:08.74.