Mercer Island Senior Trains For Strong Swimming Finish

-- MERCER ISLAND

Those who await Megan Oesting's return to the KingCo pools this fall probably also wonder when she's going to leave.

The answer is soon, but not quietly.

To any girl who swims the freestyle in the KingCo Conference, Oesting is like the shark in ``Jaws'' - seemingly invincible. For the past three years, Oesting has shown up every fall and chomped her way to the state meet. Her kick has been insurmountable, her pace ravenous.

Since her freshman year, Oesting has been Mercer Island's superswimmer. She won the 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter free and was part of the winning 400-meter free relay team at the 1987 state meet. Her team won the state championship that year, Oesting's first with the Islanders. Oesting has returned to the state meet every year since, as if it was her personal feeding ground, and has won her two events, the 100 and 200 free.

No one in the conference or the state could stop her. Graduation will.

In less than two weeks, Oesting will begin her final season at Mercer Island. It will be no more than a formality for her. If logic prevails, Oesting will beat up her competition in the conference and win her fourth consecutive state titles in the 100 and 200 free.

But personal gain is not at the top of Oesting's wish list. She has a different purpose in mind.

``I want to swim fast for my team,'' Oesting said. ``This is a chance to help those people up that haven't had those experiences and share that with them. There are some people who look up to you, and if you can help them get to where you are . . . that's what you try to do at the high-school level.''

Oesting knows what it is like to be on a championship team. Most of her teammates do not. After Mercer Island won the state meet in 1987, it gave way to Issaquah, which has won the past two years. Last season, Issaquah trounced Mercer Island for the division title and beat Woodinville for the conference crown.

``It's going to be Mercer Island and Issaquah again,'' Oesting said. ``I think our teams are equally matched. I give them the edge; but if we have enough spirit, I think we can do it. It will come down to the last dual meet before the KingCo meet.''

Frank Ceteznik, Mercer Island coach, says his team will make it closer this year. With the exception of Megan Kaercher, he hasn't lost any state-caliber swimmers. Most of the relay swimmers - Terri Campbell, Ashley Cohen, Blair Cree and Kim LeClercq - are back. He also counts on a crop of a dozen freshman to provide some depth. Issaquah lost two state qualifiers to graduation.

``Issaquah is tough, but they're beatable this year,'' Ceteznik said. ``The parity is getting better and better. I think six teams will give each other a battle. Sammamish, Bellevue, Juanita and Woodinville will also be tough.

``Having Megan really helps because she's so versatile. She can swim every event. She will provide leadership. It should be interesting to see what happens if our kids keep developing. We have the talent, but we need some luck.''

Oesting is the only swimmer Ceteznik has coached who qualified for state in all eight events. A swimmer can enter no more than two at state.

Oesting knows all about big meets. Since age 12, she has competed in national meets against the best high-school and college swimmers. It started with her first junior nationals, two weeks before her 13th birthday. She did poorly but got better.

When Oesting was old enough to go to school, she started to swim. At that time, it was therapy for her asthma. The asthma left in a few years, but the swimming stayed.

Her first team was Seattle's Cascade Swim Club. When she was 10, her family moved to Mercer Island and she joined the Chinook Aquatic Club. There she picked up a personal coach, Jack Ridley (the Mercer Island boys' coach), who has been with her since.

``I got really good coaching,'' Oesting said. ``Any kid can be good if they are tall or muscular. The key to winning is mental preparation.''

This summer, Oesting was invited to compete in the Olympic Festival in Minneapolis. She swam three events, the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter freestyles, and finished second in each. She lost by 2/100ths of a second to Rochelle DePold of Scotia, N.Y., in the 50 free. She lost the 100 free by 6/100ths of a second to Indira Allick of San Antonio.

Oesting redeemed herself a week after the Olympic Festival at the Senior Nationals, the last of two this year. She swam personal bests in the 50 (26.47 seconds), 100 (56.75) and 200 (2:03.19). She finished seventh in the 50 and 100 and 12th in the 200. She had finished no higher than 13th at any previous national meet.

Oesting's college plans are nearly set. She has pared her choices to UCLA or Stanford.

``Every kid dreams,'' she said. ``Some time within the next . . . well, I don't want to give it a time limit . . . I'll make the national team. If an American record came into the picture, I wouldn't complain.''