Eatonville Girls Swim Team Surges to Second at SPSL Championships, Qualifies for Districts
- Skip Smith
- 24 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Eatonville Cruiser girls swim team capped off a season of relentless work and steady progress with a stellar performance at the 2A South Puget Sound League (SPSL) Championships on Wednesday at Foss High School, earning a second-place team finish and setting up a strong run into the postseason.
The Cruisers scored 320 points to secure the runner-up spot behind Steilacoom (429) and ahead of Fife (296), thanks to an impressive mix of individual breakthroughs, clutch relay swims, and a display of determination that turned close races into medal moments.
Head coach Andrea Stammen said the team’s energy and effort at the meet exceeded every expectation.
“These girls exceeded expectations,” Stammen said. “They left coaches and spectators hoarse from cheering. Every swim had that extra spark — those ‘stolen finishes’ where a quick hand made the difference.”
In the week leading up to the meet, the Cruisers studied a race from one of the world’s fastest swimmers — American star Kate Douglass, who last week became the first woman to break the 50-second barrier in the 100-meter freestyle (49.93).
Stammen said her team focused on Douglass’ finish, where a lightning-fast reach to the wall secured her record. The lesson stuck.
“We watched how she finished — how she stole that world record by darting her hand forward when it mattered most,” Stammen said. “The girls took that inspiration and ran with it.”
And run with it they did. Eatonville swimmers turned close races into thrilling finishes, with hands darting for the wall just fractions of a second ahead of opponents — a skill that translated directly into podium places and personal records.
Senior captain Nicole Tomyn led the charge, capturing gold in the 50 freestyle with a blistering, lifetime-best performance that shaved 1.06 seconds off her previous record. She also added two silvers and a bronze across her events, earning the league title in the 50 free and cementing herself as one of the meet’s top athletes.
Fellow senior captain Annika Howard earned two silvers and two bronzes, continuing her consistent dominance in the individual medley and butterfly. Charlotte Stumph, another senior leader, brought home two silvers, a bronze, and a fourth-place finish, anchoring the team with her reliable speed and experience.
The younger Cruisers followed suit, turning in huge improvements and key finishes. Junior Lily Hays stunned the crowd in the 200 freestyle, out-touching a Fife swimmer by just 0.08 seconds to steal the bronze and cut nearly six seconds from her best time. Junior Jaliah Vinson posted one of the biggest drops of the meet — a 30.70-second improvement in the 500 freestyle — to climb into podium position and edge out Clover Park.
“Every hundredth matters in this sport,” Stammen said. “To see our girls improving by seconds — not fractions — across the board is huge. The Cruisers came up big in every event.”
Eatonville’s relay teams were a force from start to finish. All three relays placed inside the top six, with the 200 freestyle relay of Clara Forsman, Stumph, Howard, and Tomyn taking second, and the 200 medley relay earning bronze after dropping 6.86 seconds off its previous time.
Freshman swimmers also stepped up in a big way. Forsman, Grace King, Amelia Palfenier, and Riley Frey each contributed critical legs in relay events, while King, Jane Morrish, and others notched strong top-10 individual finishes.
By the end of the night, Eatonville’s swimmers had combined for a remarkable 118.2 seconds of total time improvement across the roster — a team-wide leap that reflects the depth and development the program has built this season.
While the final team standings showed Steilacoom comfortably ahead, Stammen said the meet was far closer than the numbers suggest.
“That point difference looks big on paper, but it was actually a really close battle,” she said. “In this format, just jumping up one place in a close race can change the entire team standings.”
Every single member of the team finished the day with at least one podium appearance — a rare and impressive feat at the league championship level. Eatonville totaled 18 podium finishes and nine medals, making it one of the program’s strongest overall performances in recent years.
The Cruisers’ results also secured automatic district qualification for all three relay teams, along with individual berths for Tomyn and Howard. The team now awaits the announcement of wildcard selections, expected late Monday night, which could send additional swimmers to the next stage of postseason competition.
“What a great day to be a Cruiser,” Stammen said. “This team’s growth, energy, and belief in each other are incredible. We’re ready for the next challenge.”
The Cruisers will compete next at the WCD III District Championships, set for Nov. 7–8 at the Curtis High School Aquatic Center in University Place.
Final Team Scores:
Steilacoom — 429
Eatonville — 320
Fife — 296
Clover Park — 190
Washington — 33
Foss — 27
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