Union’s Sam Empey is a top-three qualifier in two finals events at 4A state swim meet

Union sophomore Sam Empey qualified for Saturday’s finals second in the 100-yard butterfly and third in the 50-yard freestyle Friday at the 4A state swimming championships in Federal Way.

Empey, who was the top-seeded swimmer coming into the meet in the 50 free, swam slightly slower than his seed time, clocking in 20.93 seconds Friday. Empey was the No. 2 qualifier in the 100 butterfly (50.43), while Battle Ground’s Carsten Hicks was the eighth qualifier (52.92).

Union freshman Owen Robertson also advanced to the championship finals in two events, qualifying sixth in both the 200 freestyle (1:47.51) and the 500 freestyle (4:54.31).

Camas’ Nathan Kim advanced seventh in the 100 backstroke (53.33) and eighth in the 200 individual medley (1:55.60).

Union sent all three of its relays into the championship finals, qualifying seventh in the 200 medley relay (1:37.83), fifth in the 200 free relay (1:29.02) and eighth in the 400 free relay (3:20.48).

4A STATE MEET

At Federal Way

Local results

(Top 8 to finals; 9-16 to consolations)

200 medley relay — 7, Union (Sam Empey, Alexander Wahlman, Steven Empey, Owen Robertson) 1:37.83; 13, Camas (Nathan Kim, Tyler Torve, James Crawford, Sahn Kim) 1:41.12.

200 freestyle — 6, Owen Robertson (Union) 1:47.51.

200 individual medley — 8, Nathan Kim (Camas) 1:55.60.

50 freestyle — 3, Sam Empey (Union) 20.93; 9, Carsten Hicks (Battle Ground) 22.03. Also: 18, Sahn Kim (Camas) 22.81; 19, Steven Empey (Union) 22.93.

100 butterfly — 2, Sam Empey (Union) 50.43; 8, Carsten Hicks (Battle Ground) 52.92. Also: 17, James Crawford (Camas) 55.51.

100 freestyle — 9, Alexander Wahlman (Union) 48.65.

500 freestyle — 6, Owen Robertson (Union) 4:54.31; 12, James Crawford (Camas) 5:01.96.

200 free relay — 5, Union (Alexander Wahlman, Duc Bui, Steven Empey, Sam Empey) 1:29.02; 14, Camas (Isaac Yim, Andrew Wade, Andrew Wessel, Tyler Torve) 1:32.93.

100 backstroke — 7, Nathan Kim (Camas) 53.33.

100 breaststroke — 14, Tyler Torve (Camas) 1:01.34. Also: 19, Sahn Kim (Camas) 1:02.55.

400 free relay — 8, Union (Owen Robertson, Duc Bui, Alexander Wahlman, Steven Empey) 3:20.48; 12, Camas (James Crawford, Isaac Yim, Sahn Kim, Nathan Kim) 3:23.14.