Eatonville Swim Team Dominates Foss, Battles Hard Against Fife in First Road Meets of Season

The Eatonville High School girls swim team hit the road for the first time this season and came home with a convincing win and a hard-fought loss in a busy week of competition.

The Eatonville High School girls swim team gathers for a photo during last week’s meet against Foss. The Cruisers showed strong team spirit and continued to build momentum early in the season as they tested their skills in a variety of events on the road. Photo: Andrea Stammen

The Cruisers opened the week Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Foss High School, cruising to a 124–27 victory. Head Coach Andrea Stammen said the meet was a chance for the team to try out some new events, a move that paid off handsomely.

“We swept up first place in all but one event,” Stammen said. “It was great to see the girls push themselves outside their comfort zones and still find success.”

Senior captain Nicole Tomyn led the charge, dominating the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke. Freshman standouts made their mark as well, with Katie Funk winning the 200 freestyle, Grace King claiming first in the 200 individual medley, and Riley Frey touching first in the 100 butterfly.

Senior captain Annika Howard continued her strong season, earning automatic district qualifying times in both the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke after already qualifying in the 200 IM and 100 fly the week prior.

Eatonville also swept the relays, winning all three events, the 200 medley, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle behind solid swims from a combination of Tomyn, Howard, King, Funk, and underclassmen Clara Forsman, Amelia Palfenier, and Lily Hays.

Just two days later, the Cruisers faced one of their toughest tests yet on Thursday, Oct. 2, traveling to Fife for a competitive matchup that ended in a 100–70 loss. Despite the setback, Eatonville showed grit in what Stammen called “a guaranteed good meet.”

“Our teams are so evenly matched,” Stammen said. “At our last competition at home, we pulled off a win. This time, with Fife’s home advantage, they won the day but our girls definitely put up a strong fight.”

Howard added another district qualifying time by winning the 200 freestyle, while King delivered thrilling victories in both the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke — each decided by razor-thin margins.

Tomyn continued her impressive senior campaign with a narrow 0.26-second victory in the 50 freestyle and capped the meet with her first district qualifying time of the season in the 100 backstroke.

“Every race mattered,” Stammen said. “There were several heats that came down to the final touch. The energy on deck was electric.”

The Cruisers will look to build on their strong performances when they travel to face Clover Park on Thursday, Oct. 9.