The Vashon Seals Swim Team swam against some of the best teams in the Pacific Northwest Region Nov. 14 and 15 at the Q-Meet at the King County Aquatic Center. The team and coaches said they are proud of their showing after two back-to-back meets in as many weeks.

Swimming at the aquatic center and its fast-pace excitement — two races occurring simultaneously at opposite ends of the pool — is intimidating. However, as demonstrated at last week’s meet, swimming is all about preparation of the body and mind. This meet was no different.

This meet produced exciting races between teammates and members of different teams alike. All but three of the 22 Seals who attended placed in at least one top-10 spot, with some placing two or three times. Three broke club records in the process.

Maia Cunningham, 10, broke two records: her own record set just two weeks ago in the 50-yard breaststroke by 26 hundreths of a second, and one set back in February 2006 in the 100 breast by 3.13 seconds.

Will Macdonald, 13, also broke two records: a three-year old record in the 100 back by 1.37 seconds and one he set back in May by 7.1 seconds.

Sage Everett, 15, earned new club records by wiping out a nearly three-year-old record in the 100 back by 3.33 seconds. He also captured second place in the 100 free in a one minute, 1.43-second swim in a closely packed field of 15 swimmers.

Jacob Gold, 9, took sixth place in the 100 breast and eighth place in the 50 free.

Lauren Houston, 13, tied for fourth in the 50 free and achieved the Seals’ only new

Gold Standard Time at 30.18 seconds.

Anna Lueck, 13, placed fourth in the 200 fly, less than a second off first place.

Keara Mulvihill, 14, placed seventh in the 100 breast at 1:31.02 for a silver time.

Charlie Penwick, 13, took ninth place in the 50 free at 32.48 for a silver time.

Anna Ripley, 12, took a fourth and sixth place in the 200 IM and 50 back, respectively, for silver times.

Zoe Sackman, 13, took 10th, 11th and 12th place in the 200 IM, 100 fly and 100 free, respectively, all in silver times range.

Connor van Egmond, 9, finished in seventh, eighth and ninth in the 100 breast, 50 breast and 100 free, respectively.

King Aquatic Club, the club where Olympic swimmers Margaret Hoelzer, Megan Jendrick and Ariana Kukors trained, dominated the meet by entering more than 90 swimmers and rack-

ing up 2,468 points. On average, that works out to 24.7 points per individual. The Seals managed to keep the competition close with 24.4 points per individual — a very respectable finish.

Nov. 21 and 22, the Seals swam in the Age Group Invitational at Mount Tahoma High School Pool. Sixteen Seals qualified for this meet, which was the last opportunity to qualify for the Pacific Northwest Swimming Championships on Dec. 5.

—Gary Gray is a swim dad.