Camas’ Kim gets his ‘benchmark’ time at 4A state meet

FEDERAL WAY — Jaden Kim’s event specialty is the 100 butterfly.

The Camas High junior is a multi-year top-3 state placer in the event, including runner-up finish as a freshman two years ago.

At Saturday’s Class 4A boys state swimming and diving championships, he repeated the third-place feat from 2018, but what’s different this time around is his time: a new personal-best and clearing a long-awaited sub-50-second time he’s aimed for all season. He swam a personal-best 49.59 in the Class 4A final at King County Aquatic Center as one of three swimmers under 50 seconds for an All-American Consideration time.

“It’s a cool benchmark to get past 50 (seconds),” Kim said.

Not too long ago, he said, at this same venue and same event, he swam a 50.03 for his club team.

“I’ve been itching to get under that,” Kim said.

Saturday, he did so in what he described as a solid race start to finish. Hanford’s Skyler Younkin won the event (49.18), Skyview’s Liam Johnson placed sixth (52.07) and was a double top-8 finisher Saturday, also adding in eighth place in the 50 free (21.89).

Camas entered this weekend’s state boys swimming and diving championships as the two-time defending 4A team champion. The Papermakers did not make it a three-peat in the team race, but was highlighted by Kim’s third-place finish, Daniel Peddie’s fifth-place 500 free time (4:46.07) and all three relays placing in the top 8.

Battle Ground’s Alex Curran entered this weekend with the top seed time in the 4A 100 backstroke and Saturday, placed fourth (51.24). Wenatchee’s Connor Elwyn won the event (50.43) as one of two individual titles won by Elwin (100 free).

It’s a big leap in both time and state placing for Curran, a sophomore. Last year as a freshman, Curran placed 25th at state and also shaved off 8 seconds from his state time in 2018.

Union’s Val Tikhomirov placed seventh in the 100 breaststroke (58.84).

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CLASS 4A BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way

Saturday, Class 4A finals

(Event winner plus locals)

200 medley relay: 1. Skyline, 1:34.47; 8. Camas 1:39.40; 17. Union 1:42.36 18. Skyview DQ

200 free: 1. Patrick Keough (Curtis), 1:41.03

200 IM: 1. Brandon Stride (North Creek), 1:50.26

50 free: 1. Nathan Ainsworth (Tahoma), 20.97; 8. Liam Johnson (Skyview), 21.89; 13. Luke Bales (Camas), 22.19

Diving: 1. Andrew Adam (Auburn Riverside), 470.70 points

100 butterfly: 1. Skyler Younkin (Hanford), 49.18; 3. Jaden Kim (Camas), 49.59; 8. Liam Johnson (Skyview), 52.07

100 free: 1. Connor Elwyn (Wenatchee), 45.80

500 free: 1. Vlad Gilszmer (Kamiak), 4:35.12; 5. David Peddie (Camas), 4:46.07

200 free relay: 1. Moses Lake, 1:26.40; 6. Camas, 1:28.41; 14. Skyview, 1:32.04

100 back: 1. Connor Elwyn (Wenatchee), 50.43; 4. Alex Curran (Battle Ground), 51.24; 12. Jace Creech (Skyview), 53.86

100 breast: 1. Brandon Stride (North Creek), 56.61; 7. Val Tikhomirov (Union), 58.84

400 free relay: 1. Kamiak, 3:09.73; 5. Camas, 3:14.97