By Brenda Sexton | The Courier-Herald

With wins in three of the first four events and a mid-meet surge that included Sami Hendricks’ near-state time in the 100-yard freestyle, the Sumner High girls swim team gave league-leading Enumclaw a run for its money Thursday, but the Hornets captured the last three events and sprinted to a 99-84 victory.

Sumner jumped to an early lead with a 200 medley relay victory. Taylor Ditty, Ashley Huyhn, Lizzie Kressler and Kallan Gustafson raced to a 2-minute, 01.74-second finish. The Spartans boosted their score by sweeping the 200 freestyle with Hendricks winning in 2:08.26 and Kressler and Stephanie Hamre following in second and third.

Enumclaw’s Bella Davenport edged Gustafson in the 200 individual medley, but the Spartans stayed on top. Ditty won the 50 freestyle in 26.45 to give the Spartans a seven-point lead entering diving.

EHS took the top two spots in diving for a one-point lead and EHS’s Lindsay Bowden nosed out Sumner’s Emma Thompson, 1:10.28 to 1:10.46, in the 100 butterfly to pad the Hornets’ lead.

Hendricks won the 50 free with a time of 56:67, just missing a state-qualifying time of 56.30. EHS grabbed the next two spots to stay ahead, but Sumner roared back with a sweep in the 500 freestyle.

Ditty, 5:40.58, Gustafson, 6:08.75, and Kressler, 6:10.31, gave their team the lead by one.

A first-place finish by the 200 freestyle relay kept the Spartans up. Ditty, Huynh, Thompson and Hendricks finished in 1:51.31.

Enumclaw rallied, winning the 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and the 400 freestyle relay for the final.

Thompson finished third in the backstroke with a time of 1:14.61. Huynh finished second in the breaststroke in 1:18.89 and the 400 freestyle relay team of Gustafson, Hamre, Jaime Morey and Kressler was second in 4:33.32.

The Spartans travel to Peninsula for a 3:30 p.m. meet with the Seahawks Thursday and host Lakes Tuesday.