Five swimmers, six relay teams place at district

Pablo+Rodriguez+competes+in+the+first+day+of+district%2C+Jan.+23.+Rodriguez+finished+6th+in+the+100+Fly+and+qualified+for+regionals.

Photo by Sallie Chambers

Pablo Rodriguez competes in the first day of district, Jan. 23. Rodriguez finished 6th in the 100 Fly and qualified for regionals.

Jordan Buie, Co-Editor in Chief

Five individuals and six relay teams placed at the district meet at The University of Texas’s Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Jan. 23-24. All six relay teams as well as three individual swimmers will advance to regionals.

“It was great, my kids got there and took on a warm up without a coach, which is awesome,” swim coach Kaliah Ramsey said. “The competition itself went really well, and it’s great that all our relays are going on the regionals.”

In individual races, freshman Summer Fullwood reached the podium twice. She placed second in the 200 Freestyle and second in 500 Freestyle, qualifying for regionals in her first year on the team.

Summer Fullwood won two silver medals at district, taking 2nd in the 200 Free and 2nd the 500 Free.
Photo by JuJu Gwin
Summer Fullwood won two silver medals at district, taking 2nd in the 200 Free and 2nd the 500 Free.

“It was really cool, and I felt great winning,” Fullwood said. “It’s really awesome to be part of the team and we all get along and support each other.”

Junior Haley Timmons won the 100 Fly in under a minute and is also moving onto regionals. Sophomore Natalie Saul was eighth in both 50 Freestyle, just barely missing regionals and, by a tenth of a second, eighth in the 100 Freestyle.

Senior Pablo Rodriguez placed sixth in the 100 Fly and will advance to regionals. Sophomore Jacob Gwin placed eighth in boys 500 Freestyle.

“Literally when I touched, I looked up and thought, ‘Welp, at least I made it’,” Rodriguez said. “All I got to do is get in there and get a good rhythm going, and then I know I don’t have to worry.”

Fullwood, Timmons and Rodriguez will all move onto regionals in individual events. Six relay teams will join them, three for the boys and three for the girls. The boys placed fifth in the 200 Medley and took sixth in the 200 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle. The girls finished third in the 400 Freestyle, fourth in the 200 Medley and sixth in the 200 Freestyle.

“We are swimming in one of the fastest regions in the state so it’s unpredicted,” Ramsey said. “I know that if my kid will put forth there all then we will have a really good regionals regardless if we come home with a trophy or not.”

The team competes at the regional meet, Feb. 6-7.

DISTRICT SWIM RESULTS
Girls 100 yard Butterfly 1st – Haley Timmons
Girls 100 yard Freestyle 8th- Natalie Saul
Girls 50 yard Freestyle 8th- Natalie Saul
Girls 500 yard Freestyle 2nd – Summer Fullwood
Girls 200 Freestyle 2nd – Summer Fullwood
Girls 200 Freestyle Relay 6th – Katie Grady, Sydney Stauber, Brynn Stokes, Molly Grady
Girls 200 Medley Relay 4th – Summer Fullwood, Jaide Castle, Natalie Saul, Haley Timmons
Girls 400 Freestyle Relay 3rd – Summer Fullwood, Jaide Castle, Natalie Saul, Haley Timmons
Boys 500 yard Freestyle 8th – Jacob Gwin
Boys 100 yard Butterfly 6th – Pablo Rodriguez
Boys 400 Freestyle Relay 6th – Jace Wood, Jacob Gwin, Dylan Ingram, Brent Schaefer
Boys 200 Medley Relay 5th – Jeremy Rodriguez, Brent Schaefer, Jacob Gwin, Dylan Ingram
Boys 200 Freestyle Relay 6th – Jace Wood, Jacob Gwin, Dylan Ingram, Brent Schaefer
Boys 200 Freestyle Relay 6th – Jace Wood, Nathan Diaz, Jordan Stokes, Patrick LaVance