MOSES LAKE — A year ago, Wenatchee dominated the Columbia Basin Big Nine League swimming and diving championships and Moses Lake was the best of the rest.

Wenatchee is still the CBBN team to beat and a 4A state contender once again. But apparently the rest have gotten better, at least Eastmont has.

The Panthers (770 points) were the runaway winners one more time Thursday afternoon at the CBBN league championships at Tony St. Onge Pool of Dreams. Eastmont (449.5) slipped into second place and the host Chiefs (335) were third in the seven-team field.

“The simple matter of fact, Eastmont, Davis and Eisenhower have a bunch of USA (year-round) swimming freshman,” said St. Onge, whose team did not win a race. “The culture in Moses Lake needs to change. I don’t know if they need to swim year-round. I’d like them to play other sports, and not sit for nine months.”

Moses Lake senior and team captain Anna Fair did not win the 100-yard butterfly for the first time in eight races. In a league where top seed Maya Cunningham of Eastmont (59.93), along with Sierra Hartley and Jordan Hartley from Wenatchee can all win on any given day, Fair has held her own. In fact, she was coming off her eighth win in the butterfly with a big win on Senior Night (Oct. 12) against Hartley. The Chiefs’ three-time state qualifier touched first in a fraction of second faster.

At the league championships, it was Cunningham (1:00.54), Hartley (1:00.74) and Fair (1:01.16) in a race that was even closer than the times would indicate.

“I’ve been afraid to lose all season, and then it happens and I’m OK,” said Fair. “It’s hard to swim unbeaten all season. I felt good in the pool, but my turns were really slow. So I’ll work on those and be back at it at districts next week.”

Cunningham led start-to-finish. But all three lumped together in the middle of the pool in lanes three-four-five, so they were very much aware the next pull could be the difference in one of the most competitive races of the day.

Fair went into the 200 individual medley with the top time in the CBBN (2:19.80) and found herself in another speed-fest with Wenatchee’s Rae Ann Dressel. Dressel knocked two seconds off her previous best to win the IM in 2:18.53. Fair was second in 2:19.77.

“Anna was undefeated in league competition in every event she’s swam all year,” St. Onge said. “She won eight straight butterfly races and she was undefeated in everything else. She swims where she’s needed. She’s swam the IM, the 200 free, the backstroke and the butterfly and she was undefeated in everything this year, until today.”

Cora Dana was fourth in the 100 freestyle (59.87). The 200 freestyle relay (Fair, Jessica Williams, Lacy Johnson and Dana) were fourth (1:50.80).

“I don’t swim year-round, so I usually start slow at the beginning of the year and end up swimming better than I was the previous year,” said Lacy Johnson, who also swims the 50 and 100 freestyles. “We know we’re not going to beat Wenatchee, but when you race against them they end up making you faster (because of your effort).”

No one on Moses Lake has met the state qualifying standard, so Thursday’s 4A District 6 Swimming and Diving Championships at St. Onge pool are for big stakes. Top two individuals and relay teams qualify for the state championships.

Columbia Basin Big Nine League Meet

Team scores: 1. Wenatchee, 770. 2. Eastmont, 449.5. 3. Moses Lake, 335. 4. Eisenhower, 279. 5. Davis, 224. 6. West Valley, 166.5. 7. Sunnyside, 98