Vashon has two swim teams, and both are currently busy with local competitions.

Vashon Seals Swim Team

Three swimmers from the Vashon Seals Swim Team have qualified for the Washington State Senior Short Course Championships, which they will be participating in from Dec. 13 to 16 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Competing against the very best swimmers in the state will be 13-year-old Aliya Ricks in the 50-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle; 17-year-old Kasey Kirschling in the 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle; and 17-year-old Lucas MacLeod in the 50- and 100-yard backstroke, and 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Vashon Seals alumni and island resident 16-year-old Elijah Dougher is now swimming for Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club; he will compete in the 50- and 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle and two relays.

— Karl Stetson is an assistant Seals coach.

Vashon Stingrays Swim Team

This weekend, Vashon Stingrays Swim Team’s Erik Pringle swam in four events during the 14 & under Short Course Championships at the three-day meet. With fast competition at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Pringle’s morning preliminary swims placed him in finals each day. He swam personal bests in all his races, finishing 18th in the 100 backstrokes at 58.72; placing 10th in the 50 freestyle with 23.24; placing sixth in the 100 freestyle at 50.03, which qualifies him for the Regional Championships in March. Pringle ended the weekend swimming an impressive 200 freestyle race in finals, dropping 2.47 seconds to place 11th with a time of 1:50.93. Pringle earned qualifying times for the Western Zone Senior Championships meet in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events.

The Vashon Stingrays younger teammates swam in the Fall Divisionals December 1 and 2 at Mount Tahoma Pool. Kellan Thalhofer, Rowan McBennet, Leif McBennet, Aiden Erlandson, Phoenix Moore, Madeline Yarkin and Samantha Kavanagh all achieved personal bests. Kavanagh swam a personal best in the 200 freestyle, dropping over 12 seconds; she earned a silver time standard for her 50 freestyle finishing with a 35.92. Yarkin achieved two silver time standards for her 100 breaststroke at 1:39.97 and her 50 freestyle of 35.97. Erlandson sped to two gold time standards in the 100 fly and 100 freestyle, which qualified him for finals in all three of his events, including the 50 backstrokes, placing in the top eight in all his events.

— Dayna Rogers is the head coach of the Stingrays.