On Nov. 12, Mountlake Terrace sent two swimmers to the women’s state swimming meet.

Riley Morgan swam the 50-meters freestyle and Megan Bruce swan the 100-meter breaststroke. Riley finished in seventh place with a time of 25.78 seconds.

Both Morgan and Bruce were voted captains for next swim season along with McKenzie LeSueur. Morgan has been swimming for seven years now and this is her fourth year on a year-round swim team called Stingray Swim Club.

This is her second year going to state and her first year placing. “I had no idea that I would finish in the top eight and I was very surprised,” Morgan said. She is already looking forward to her senior year and improving, “Next year I want to beat my own time and go to state.”

Morgan is admired by her teammates and her efforts are appreciated, “Riley always worked really hard in practice and at meets. She was really inspiring for our team and she always is encouraging,” teammate Sonja Head said. “It was really awesome to watch her go to state and see that she accomplished everything she had aimed at the whole season.”

Morgan said she loves swim because there is a sense of family on the team. “At practice we all joke around, but we’re a family,” she said. “There was a coach I had before he retired two years ago and the first rule was that we’re a family.”

That support and commitment has been what keeps Morgan swimming year after year.

Teammates congratulated Morgan and her accomplishments this season. The team hopes to see new girls come out next year to join swim as “swim is the best sport you could possibly play because it works different muscles than other sports,” Morgan said.