ELLENSBURG - In their first action of the 2007 fall season, Moses Lake High School's girls swim team got a strong challenge by competing at the 18-team Eastern Washington Relays Thursday night.

The event was a non-scoring meet, Chiefs coach Tony St. Onge noted, but had there been team results, Moses Lake definitely would've placed in the top five.

"We had a very strong showing," St. Onge said via e-mail. "Our times were solid, early-season times. The Chiefs are stepping it up this year and the hard work is paying off in better performances already."

Moses Lake has three state qualifiers and 11 district qualifiers returning from last season. Two new swimmers, Megan Schuh and Elaura Grant, recorded times on Thursday that are already good for a spot at districts.

In the 200-meter medley relay, team captains Stephanie McFarland and Reilly Hourigan helped the Chiefs take third place in 2 minutes, 6.3 seconds. McFarland swam the lead leg, with Hourigan taking the anchor leg. Kim Kardong and Hannah Grigg were Moses Lake's other competitors in the race.

The 150-meter breaststroke relay squad of Cari Cortez, Kardong and Schuh earned a first-place mark of 1:47.81. Cortez and Schuh teamed with Catherine Polito in the 300-meter individual medley relay, with the Chiefs' trio winning in 3:24.79.

The 150 backstroke relay team of Caroline Sharp, Anna Cost and McFarland finished in 1:36.45, good for third.

Fourth-place times came from the team of Grant, Polito, Cortez and Hourigan in the mixed age free relay (2:28.46), and the 200 free relay foursome of Hourigan, Costa, Jessica Massart and McFarland (1:54.78).

Fifth-place times were turned in by the mixed distance free trio of Massart, Grant and Grigg (3:58.13, the 150-meter fly team of Grigg, Grant and Polito (1:37.25) and the 400 free team of Kardong, Costa, Massart and Schuh (4:23.18).

Moses Lake's diving duo of Heather Devine and Teal Delys compiled 115 points to place fifth in their event.

The Chiefs return to the pool next Tuesday, traveling to league rival Richland for a 4 p.m. start.