When Katie Maier locked eyes with her teammate Jeni Matsuda before the start of their 500-yard freestyle race, they knew it was go time.

Last Saturday at the 4A state swim and dive meet at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Bear Creek junior Maier notched sixth place while competing for Issaquah High and Matsuda finished third.

Maier swam the event in 5 minutes, 15.22 seconds. In the prelims on Friday, she had a personal-best time of 5:14.78. Matsuda clocked in at 5:09.09 in the final.

Before the final, Maier said her teammates and swimmers from other schools pumped her up to succeed.

“I was swimming against a freshman (in the next lane) and I really didn’t want a freshman to beat me in the 500,” she said. “During the race, I pulled ahead and raced even harder.”

At state, Maier also finished 16th in the 100-yard backstroke (1:03.49) and 14th as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:49.90). Her 200-yard medley relay finished 17th in prelims (1:59.23).

It was Maier’s third year at state with Issaquah since Bear Creek doesn’t field a swim team. She was accompanied by 10 other Issaquah swimmers, who qualified individually and with all three relays.

“Everybody was really excited to participate in state,” she said.