Eleven members of the Aqua Tribe qualified for regionals on Jan. 22 as the Indians took second place with 104 points and the Maidens took third with 78 points.
Coach Tim Sage has confidence in his team for the region meet in Andrews on Feb. 4-5.
“It will go well,” Sage said. “Our region is large, but I think we are ready to compete.”
For seniors this regional meet is a last chance to swim again at state competition. Senior Matt Mares, who took the district championship in the 50-meter freestyle, advancing will mean achieving a time he hasn’t before.
“I’m the fastest in district,” Mares said, “but I have to get a 22 at region. That means cutting two seconds off my time. I’m going to try my hardest.”
Senior Jonathan Whisenant, who won the 200-meter individual medley event at district, thinks his best chances lie in the 100-meter backstroke where he finished second.
“I think I’m better dropping time in backstroke,” Whisenant said. “I’m closer to some people in that. Making it to state would be pretty cool.”
In the women’s division, freshman Judy Thiessen took the championship in the 100-meter freestyle by 17 tenths of a second.
“I kind of expected that I would win because I had the fasted time in the prelims,” Thiessen said. “At the beginning of the year I knew how to swim, but I didn’t know the correct way to do it. Coach Sage taught me how. I’m going to do my best at regionals.”
Regional action begins on Feb. 4 with diving at 9:30 a.m. followed by swimming warmup at 11:30 a.m. Preliminary races begin at 2:10 p.m. On Feb. 5, swimming warmup is at 9 a.m. with finals beginning at 11:10.
District Meet (Jan. 21-22) Results
Maidens–third place overall (78 points); Indians–second place overall (104 points)
Women’s individual results–200-meter freestyle–Shannon Black fifth–3:18.52; 50-meter freestyle–Judy Thiessen third–30.48, Connie Friesen fourth–30.97; 100-meter freestyle–Judy Thiessen first–1:07.20, Shannon Black fifth–1:35.38; 200-meter freestyle relay– Connie Friesen, Kourtney Kildow, Brittany Nutsch, Judy Thiessen second–2:12.89; 100-meter backstroke–Connie Friesen third–1:28.90; 100-meter breaststroke–Kourtney Kildow third–1:35.25, Brittany Nutsch fourth–1:43.37; 400-meter freestyle relay–Connie Friesen, Kourtney Kildow, Brittany Nutsch, Judy Thiessen second–5:10.11;
Men’s individual results–200-meter freestyle–Matt Mares second–2:03.36; 200-meter individual medley–Jonathan Whisenant first–2:30.79: 59; 50-meter freestyle–Matt Mares first–24.18, Chance Pettyjohn fifth–26.18; Tommy Harms sixth–27.02; 100-meter freestyle–Tyler McCormick third–1:01.08, Michael Nagy fourth–1:03.75, Tommy Harms sixth–1:05.26; 500-meter freestyle–Bryan Burleson first–6:22.66; 200-meter freestyle–Jonathan Whisenant, Chance Pettyjohn, Michael Nagy, Matt Mares second–1:44.53; 100-meter backstroke–Jonathan Whisenant second–1:06.30, Michael Nagy third–1:16.81; 100-meter breaststroke–Chance Pettyjohn third–1:25.76; 400–meter freestyle–Jonathan Whisenant, Tyler McCormick, Matt Mares, Michael Nagy second–3:56.79
