Vikings, Bucs earn district times in first meet

By Nicholas Zeller-Singh North Kitsap Herald • December 7, 2023 1:30 am

The North Kitsap Vikings and Kingston Buccaneers swim teams began their league season against each other. Although the Vikings won 108-63, both teams already earned district times in a variety of events.

Vikings’ Levi McLain, Max Nolan, Henry Maxwell and Evan Silcott finished first in the 200-yard medley relay with 1:52.83. Kingston’s Tucker Riffle, Zachary Cummings, Josh VanHuis and Noah Simontov finished second with 2:02.32 while Judson Wallace, Alex Braun, Trent Grant and Conner Parrett finished third with 2:23.31.

Viking Andrew Gyllensten earned the first district time in the 200-yard freestyle with 2:04.37. Kingston’s Isaiah Najar finished second with 2:22.13 and North Kitsap’s Rydley Strong finished third with 3:29.20.

All three placers qualified for districts in the 200-yard individual medley. McLain finished first with 2:11.65, VanHuis finished second with 2:17.97 and Nolan finished third with 2:22.85.

Maxwell was the lone swimmer to qualify in the 50-yard freestyle with 24.57. Braun finished second with 29.25 and Simontov finished third with 29.44.

North Kitsap had two divers compete in the 1-meter event. Justin Anderson finished with 116.55 while Strong had 109. After a quick warm-up, McLain and Cummings earned district times in the 100-yard butterfly with 56.86 and 1:01.94. McLain missed the state qualifying time by 0.36 seconds.

Gyllensten won the 100-yard freestyle with 59.10, Riffle finished second with 1:05.26 and Wallace finished third with 1:11.13. VanHuis won the 500-yard event with a qualifying time of 5:34.92. Maxwell also qualified after finishing second with 5:53.60. However, Najar finished third with 6:37.01.

Gyllensten, Anderson, Braun and Silcott won the 200-yard freestyle relay with 1:48.94. Simontov, Joey Munns, Jude Hamilton and Najar finished second with 2:06.18 and Parrett, Wallace, Grant and Strong finished third with 2:12.64.

Anderson was the lone qualifier in the 100-yard backstroke with 1:06.81. Riffle finished second with 1:25.69 and Wallace finished third with 1:32.30.

Cummings earned another qualifying time in the 100-yard breaststroke with 1:06.78. Nolan finished second with 1:13.78 and Braun finished third with 1:25.08.

Maxwell, Gyllensten, Nolan and McLain ended the meet with a first-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay with 3:47.39. VanHuis, Najar, Riffle and Cummings finished second with 4:06.13 and Silcott, Anderson, Parrett and Strong finished third with 4:47.73.