Aqua Tribe winds down preseason

 The Aqua Tribe has only one meet–Andrews invitational on Jan. 3-4–before the district meet also in Andrews on Jan. 17-18.

  “I expect us to do pretty well at district,” Coach Danielle Sims said. “I expect us to break lots of personal records, and I think we’ll have another school record broken.”

  Last year, senior Andrew Proffer broke Jody Fitz’s 1982 breastroke record.

  “It felt good,” Proffer said. “Powerful. And getting back to where I was last year time-wise, feels really good.”

  Proffer has his eye on regionals this year.

  “I didn’t make it to regionals last year because I didn’t make top eight,” Proffer said. “I’m working on my breastkick and pull to try and make them faster, as well as turnover rate–getting it faster overall.”

  Junior Samantha Gutierrez went to regionals last year in the 200-meter freestyle relay. After three fourths of her team graduated, she now has to work with a new relay team.

  “We need to work together a lot and just practice as much as we can,” Gutierrez said. “They’re very hard-working, and we work pretty well as a team.” 

  The entire Aqua Tribe sees regionals as a goal. 

  “I’m mainly working on my 500 pace,” junior Amber Wilkey said. “I got a little pacer thing that clicks up my pace, and I’m also really working on my sprint for the 200 relay.”

  Sims said endurance will be key.

  “Endurance is always the biggest thing especially in swim, just because you have to push it so hard for so long,” Sims said. “So really that has to be our biggest thing.”

  Sims also knows her team’s strengths.

  “Their relays are very strong,” Sims said. “Andy is strong in breaststroke, and his indivudal medley is strong. Ana [Nevarez] is strong in backstroke; we have lots of strengths.”

  Wilkey knows she has a chance at making regionals.

  “I’m hoping to be able to make it this year in one of my races,” Wilkey said. “I’m not sure which one it’ll be, but I’m really trying to work for it.”

  Once regionals is achieved, Gutierrez will look even higher.

  “I’m hoping we can work hard enough to make it to state this year,” Gutierrez said. “I feel like we have to potential to.”

Seminole Meet Results (Dec. 14)

Women-8th 

Men-9th

Women’s 200-meter freestyle–Samantha Gutierrez-13th, Amber Wilkey-17th, Hailey Blair-27

Men’s 200-meter freestyle–Jose Conejo-26th, Ian Ramirez-27th

Women’s 50-meter freestyle–Ana Nevarez-9th, Stephanie Hiebert-16th, Karyme Martinez-20th, Elizabeth Harder-23rd, Megan Neufeld-26th, Felicity Gonzales-32nd, Amanda Martens-33rd, Margaretha Harder-47th, Amy Thiessen-48th

Men’s 50-meter freestyle–Clayton Lee–14th, Ryan Lee-15th, Shane Howard-31st

Women’s 100-meter freestyle–Stephanie Hiebert-12th, Karyme Martinez-15th, Amy Thiessen-45th, Margaretha Harder-46th

Men’s 100-meter freestyle–Clayton Lee-11th, Jose Conejo-28th, Ian Ramirez-37th

Women’s 400-meter freestyle–Samantha Gutierrez-11th, Amber Wilkey-13th

Women’s 200-meter freestyle relay–Samantha Gutierrez, Elizabeth Harder, Stephanie Hiebert and Ana Nevarez-7th; Amber Wilkey, Karyme Martinez, Amanda Martens and Megan Neufeld-9th

Men’s 200-meter freestyle relay–Ryan Lee, Clayton Lee, Jose Conejo, Andy Proffer-7th

Women’s 100-meter backstroke–Ana Nevarez-19th, Hailey Blair-27th, Felicity Gonzales-28th, Elizabeth Harder-29th

Men’s 100-meter backstroke–Andy Proffer-10th, Ryan Lee-19th

Women’s 100-meter breast stroke–Megan Neufeld-16th, Amanda Martens-23rd

Men’s 100-meter breast stroke–Andy Proffer-5th

Women’s 400-meter freestyle relay–Karyme Martinez, Megan Neufeld, Amanda Martens and Elizbeth Harder-11th

Men’s 400-meter freestyle relay–Ryan Lee, Clayton Lee, Jose Conejo and Andy Proffer-7th