Thursday’s boys swim meet with Lakes came down to the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, and Enumclaw High didn’t disappoint fans.

The Hornets won the relay and the meet, 97-89, keeping their South Puget Sound League 3A record clean.

Coach Ann Bettencourt said she knew it would be close since both the Hornets and Lancers had defeated Auburn Mountainview by the same 122-63 score; also, the Hornets had beaten the Lancers by one point last season.

The team raced to a number of personal-best times including Bennon VanHoof, who broke his school record in the 100 breaststroke.

“I am proud of how hard the team worked for this win. It came down to the very last race and they pulled it off,” Bettencourt said.

EHS’s 400 freestyle relay team of Will Cooper, Zach Petersen, Thomas Petersen and VanHoof, beat Lakes by 4 seconds for the win.

EHS started the meet with its 200 medley relay of Thomas Petersen, VanHoof, Travis Culp and Cooper winning in 1:45.42, nearly a state qualifying time. The Hornets’ team of Dylan Hamel, Logan Ross, Gabe Sales and Braden Dedrick scored second.

VanHoof followed it win in the 200 individual medley.

Jesse Skipworth and David Kingman went 1-2 for the Hornets in diving.

The Hornets picked up three quick second-place finishes with Thomas Petersen, 50 freestyle, Cooper, 100 butterfly, and Zach Petersen, 100 freestyle, to keep a slim margin over Lakes.

Cooper won the 500 freestyle for a four-point cushion.

Peninsula gained the lead by one-point by winning the 200 freestyle relay.

The Hornets fought back with Thomas Petersen winning the 100 backstroke to knot the score at 78.

Then VanHoof hit the water with his record-setting win in the 100 breaststroke to give the Hornets breathing room with 6-point lead. VanHoof set the record at state last season with a 1:01.78. Thursday, he posted a 1:01.38.

The 400 freestyle relay capped the day’s victory.