Aqua Tribe qualifiers look toward region meet

Eva Neufeld, Editor in Chief|January 10, 2017

Go, go, go! Aqua Tribe members scream during a teammates turn during the district meet in Andrews on Jan. 21. The Maidens took fifth and the Indians took sixth in the 1-4A tournament.

Aaron Espinoza

Go, go, go! Aqua Tribe members scream during a teammates turn during the district meet in Andrews on Jan. 21. The Maidens took fifth and the Indians took sixth in the 1-4A tournament.

The Aqua Tribe qualified four individuals and three relays for regionals on Feb. 3 and 4 in Lubbock.

The Maidens took fifth and the Indians tied for sixth at the district meet in Andrews on Jan. 21.

Senior Grecia Hermosillo Ortiz advanced in an individual event (100 breast stroke) for the first time.

“I’m very proud of myself,” Hermosillo Ortiz said. “I worked hard, and it paid off. Since it’s my senior year, it makes it more special.”

Last year, a motorcycle accident caused the men’s relay to forfeit its regional qualification, so this year senior Aaron Espinoza will finally get to compete at the regional meet.

“I feel like it was an omen last year,” Espinoza said. “I’m being more cautious. It could just be that I’m superstitious.”

Regionals will most likely be the last competition for the seniors on the team. “It is bittersweet,” Espinoza said. “I can’t swim for fun anymore. If I’m not swimming laps, I’m not having fun if that says anything about swimming.”

Coach Danielle Sims said she is very proud of the team.

“They have worked very hard,” Sims said. “We set specific goals for each of them, and they accomplished.”

Results from District Meet

Maidens–fifth (36 points)

Women 200 freestyle (Klassen)–fifth (2:24.72)

Women 50 freestyle (Rempel)–seventh (29.14), (Hermosillo Ortiz)–eighth (29.54)

Women 100 freestyle (Rempel)–sixth (1:05.67), (Isabella Friesen)–eighth (1:06.38)

Women 200 freestyle relay (Rempel, Friesen, Hermosillo Ortiz, Klassen, Harrison, Martens, Kaylei Green, Ellison)–fourth (1:59.01)

Women 100 breast (Hermosillo Ortiz)– fifth (1:28.40), (Thiessen)–eighth (1:31.35)

Women 400 freestyle relay (Martens, Thiessen, Friesen, Rempel)–fourth (4:43.11)

Women 50 free (Daniela Ramos)–second (32.94)

Women 100 breast (Ramos)–first (1:44.37)

Indians–sixth (18 points)

100 freestyle (Gatlin Jones)–eighth (55:37)

500 freestyle (Steven Weeks)–sixth (5:51.50)

200 freestyle relay (Jones, Tristin Williams, Aaron Espinoza, Weeks, Andrew Proffer, Zane Wall)–seventh (1:47.36)

400 freestyle (Jones, Williams, Espinoza, Weeks, Proffer, Wall)–fourth (3:58.53)