The Aqua Tribe is competing in the regional swim meet today and tomorrow.
“District went awesome,” Coach Tim Sage said. “Regionals will be a lot tougher. Our region is so big and there is a lot of competition.”
Freshman Esther Neufeld said the results from district came as a surprise.
“District was more than I expected,” Neufeld said. “I didn’t expect to make it to the second round, which I did. We did awesome.”
The Aqua Tribe placed second at district.
“We went to district and didn’t come back empty-handed,” freshman Sierra Talamantes said, “but we have the competition of Pecos and Pampa at regionals. I think regionals will go really, really well.”
Pampa, who placed first at district, and the Pecos men, who swam to get their 16th straight title in the southern district, present formidable opponents.
“Pecos and Pampa will be our toughest opponents at regionals,” junior Jean Teichroeb said. “They are really good.”
In the southern district, the Pecos men won 11 of 12 events.
“Pecos did a lot better, “ Sage said. “But their girls didn’t win. Pecos and Monahans will be our toughest competition .”
Talamantes said competing against Pampa without the competition of Pecos was difficult but competing against both will prove to be daunting.
“Pampa and Pecos will be our hardest competition because they are hard individually,” Talamantes said. “I can’t imagine competing against them at the same time.”
Junior Tyler McCormick has opposition even on his own team.
“Chance Pettyjohn will be my hardest competition,” McCormick said. “He is fast.”
Sophomore Edgar Madrid, who qualified for regionals in three events, sees his competition in a Pampa swimmer.
“Pfitzner from Pampa will be my biggest competition,” Madrid said, “because he got first in the 200-yard freestyle.”
Madrid said he needs to improve on pacing and breathing techniques for regionals.
“I think our district was easier,” Madrid said. “We are going to have to work harder. My goal for regionals is to swim under two minutes and 10 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle and under five minutes in the 500 yard freestyle.”
Teichroeb also needs to cut time off.
“My goal at regionals are to beat my time in backstroke and shave off a second or two on my 200-yard medley relay,” Teichroeb said.
Even with the stiff competition waiting in Andrews today, swimmers like Neufeld look at the challenge with optimism.
“Regionals is going to be harder than district,” Neufeld said, “but it should go pretty well.”
District Meet (Jan. 27-28) Results
Maidens–second place overall (119 points); Indians-second place overall (125 points)
Women’s individual results–200-yard medley relay-Tori Phillips, Kourtney Kildow, Judy Thiessen, Kinzey Wolf-second-2:20.80; 200-yard freestyle–Phillips fifth-2:44.07, Sierra Talamantes sixth–2:49.85; 50-yard freestyle–Thiessen first-29.26, Esther Neufeld fourth-34.14, Rubena Loewen fifth-6.91; 100-yard freestyle–Thiessen first-1:03.58, Kildow third-1:13.20, Wolf fourth-1:13.49; 500-yard freestyle–Talamantes third-7:40.68, Loewen fifth-7:57.64; 200-yard freestyle relay–Kildow, Phillips, Wolf, Thiessen first-2:05.53; 100-yard backstroke–Phillips second-1:20.89; 100-yard breaststroke–Kildow third-1:30.30, Neufeld fourth-1:38.12; 400-yard freestyle relay–Loewen, Talamantes, Aliyah Hawkins, Neufeld second-5:45.71
Men’s individual results–200-yard medley relay–Jean Teichroeb, Coby Peters, Chance Pettyjohn, Tyler McCormick second-2:03.67; 200-yard freestyle–Edgar Madrid second-2:15.94; 200-yard individual medley–Carlo Franco third-2:41.60; 50-yard freestyle–Pettyjohn second-24.96, McCormick third-25.27; 100-yard freestyle–Pettyjohn first-57.33, McCormick second-57.99, Peters third-1:01.15; 500-yard freestyle–E. Madrid third-6:21.52, Bryan Burleson fifth-6;44.01, Gabe Madrid sixth-8:14.88; 200-yard freestyle relay–Teichroeb, Jimmie Vaughn, Burleson, E. Madrid second-1:53.18; 100-yard backstroke–Teichroeb second-1:10.60, Vaughn third-1:15.71; 400-yard freestyle relay–Pettyjohn, Franco, Peters, McCormick second-3:56.42