When Nick Connors went to the boys state swimming and diving championships in Federal Way as a freshman in 2009, he finished 10th in the 500-yard freestyle.

That might have been a discouraging result for some swimmers, but not for Connors.

"After I swam in that first meet," he said, "I knew it was going to be my race the full four years."

This year, Connors owned the 500.

The Richland senior, who earlier Saturday finished third in the 4A 200-yard freestyle, came back to earn his first state title in perhaps the meet's most grueling event. Connors powered through the final 15 yards and edged Central Kitsap senior Brendan Weiner, the top seed out of preliminaries, with a time of 4:36.44.

The Washington state 3A-2A gymnastics all-around champion had quite an encore Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

Southridge freshman Kiya Bjorge followed a remarkable Day One triumph -- a personal-best score of 38.275 in the all-around -- with individual titles on the vault (9.7) and floor (9.75), a third-place finish on beam (9.475) and fifth on the uneven parallel bars (8.975).

"When I took first, it was unbelievable," Bjorge said of Friday's all-around state victory, the first for a female Tri-Cities gymnast. "It was crazy. I was excited."

Bjorge said the energy she put into earning the state victories will help in her return to Level 9 club gymnastics competition next weekend at the Battle in Seattle.

"I'll have enough mental ability and physical ability to do my best and try to dominate," she said.

In other 3A-2A individual final action, Kamiakin's Danielle Brandon earned fourth in beam (9.4), sixth in vault (9.375) and ninth on bars (8.625).