STATE SWIM CHAMPIONS: Pullman swimming dynasty is in full bloom after back-to-back titles
Pullman boys win back-to-back state
swimming titles
By Cody Wendt, Lewiston
Trib, Feb 23 2024
The story of Pullman Greyhound boys
swimming the past two seasons has been defined by one watershed after another.
Though it had fielded distinguished
rosters and alumni through the decades, Pullman had never claimed a boys team
state title prior to 2023. Now, it has performed that feat back-to-back, and
its championship showing last weekend at the Washington Class 2A state meet at
King’s County Aquatic Center represented many all-time highs.
The Hounds finished
first in six different events, set new meet records in four events and school
records in seven, fielded at least one All-American honoree and potentially as
many as three (having had two last year), and totaled 289 team points (improving
on 286 a year earlier).
They also made the most
of the journey, according to coach Jacob Hogg.
“This year’s group was a
really tight-knit group of boys, so the trip to State with Teo (Uberuaga) and
Will (Miller) being the captains and the only two seniors kind of gave them a
really good farewell,” Hogg said. “Those two have been through Pullman High
School — four-year lettermen. Teo had finished third a bunch of times
throughout his career at Pullman and finally got to finish second (in the
500-yard freestyle). Will did a personal-best time (45.58 seconds) in the 100
free. They were very energetic.
“We had a lot of fun on
the trip. Just really proud of them, and it was really a very easy group to
coach and have fun with.”
Last year, Miller and
compatriot Jake McCoy achieved All-American status in the 200 freestyle and 200
individual medley, respectively, signifying that their best times for the
season ranked among the top 100 nationwide after all results, including those from
parts of the country where swimming is a spring sport, were tallied. They have
now improved on the marks that gained them the status previously, but await
official confirmation whether they repeat as All-Americans.
Meanwhile, their
teammate Ben Madson will not have to wait. The junior’s first-place mark of
20.83 seconds in the 50 freestyle was not only a meet and school record, but
passed the threshold for automatic All-American recognition.
This era of Pullman
swimming success has cut across boys and girls competition, with the Greyhound
girls having titled as a team as recently as 2021 and placed second while
fielding individual 500 freestyle state champion Poppy Edge last fall. The
Hound swimming community is fed by the Cougar Aquatics youth club program, of
which Miller, McCoy, Madson, Uberuaga, Edge and more are alums.
Western Washington foe
Sammamish, which has been Pullman’s top swimming rival at the state level —
beating out the girls for first and coming in second to the boys — is set to
move up to Class 3A starting next school year. With two individual state champions
and several more athletes that “made huge strides this year,” including the
likes of sophomores Zane Pumphrey, Nolan Pollestad and Levi Ritter, Hogg is
optimistic about the possibility of his boys mustering a state title
three-peat.
“It’s a fun side job to
have, coaching these kids, so I just hope I can do it for as long as they’ll
have me,” Hogg said. “I hope we keep doing well, and more importantly, I hope
we just keep having fun. That’s maybe a little bit of the different energy I
bring compared to maybe coaches they’ve had in the past; I try to make it as
much fun as possible, and it seems to be paying off.”
