The Port Townsend High School girls’ swim team reversed last year’s loss to Kingston by re-creating PTHS’s margin of victory over Kingston two years ago.

Last year, Kingston defeated PT by a score of 88-82, but during their Oct. 12 rematch in Poulsbo, PT beat Kingston by a score of 87-83, the exact same scores that both teams received two years ago.

Coach Peter Braden said the regular season meet was also notable for “lots of best times and close races,” plus the fact that “we were loud.”

According to Braden, what made the difference at this meet was the PT girls’ depth as a team, specifically the strength of the third-fastest swimmers in each event.

“Out of eight individual events, we only finished sixth once,” Braden said. “Three times, our third swimmer finished fourth. Four times, our swimmers finished fifth instead of sixth,” he added, listing freshman Jenna Hiegel in the 200-meter freestyle, junior Anna Wilke in the 200-meter individual medley, senior Jayme Reidt in the 50-meter freestyle and sophomore Emerald Bailey in the 100-meter breaststroke, “thereby earning one point. Sixth place does not score a point. So, 87 to 83, there’s your four points.”

Braden noted that Port Townsend also won the close races. In the first event, PT’s 200-meter medley relay of senior Corinne Pierson, sophomore Veda Dosey, junior Jamie Rogers and freshman Mary d’Arcy beat out Kingston’s top relay by just 64/100 of a second, and the closest race of the meet, the 50-meter freestyle, was won by d’Arcy by just 1/100 of a second.

Braden deemed the 500-meter freestyle to be the Redhawks’ “most dominant” event, with Rogers winning, followed by senior Maisie Gould in second and freshman Emillia Nunn in fourth. Other Redhawk winners were Gould in the the 200-meter freestyle, and the 200-meter freestyle relay of Dosey, sophomore Isabella Harvey, senior Ally McCallum and Gould.

“I told the team I had a prediction, but I wouldn’t share it until after the meet,” Braden said. “The girls didn’t know yet which team had won, so on the bus home, I told them, ‘At best, I had you even with Kingston. I was wrong. You won by four points,’ to which there were huge cheers and smiles.”

“That was a really fun meet, with lots of close races and great cheering,” Kingston coach Pam Manix said. “We always enjoy swimming against PT.”

The Redhawks are known for bringing treats to share after meets, which they did once again Oct. 12, but the Buccaneers surprised the Redhawks with cookies of their own to share.

According to one Kingston swimmer, “You guys always bring the best treats, so we wanted to give some as thanks!”

The Redhawks finish up their dual meet season Oct. 19 against Klahowya, which Braden also figures to be a close meet. The divisional meet follows on Oct. 24. It’s also known as “the last chance meet,” since it’s the final opportunity to qualify for the district meet.