Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
ALBUQUERQUE — Clovis High’s boys were fifth in the two-day state swimming meet at Albuquerque Academy, ending on Saturday. Meantime, the CHS girls came up just short in their bid for a top five finish.
The Wildcats finished with 180 points, two ahead of sixth-place Albuquerque High, behind strong performances from juniors James Skuse and Seiji Aponte. Host Academy won the team title with 325 points to 256 for La Cueva and 243 for Eldorado.
Those three schools finished in the same order on the girls’ side, with Academy tallying 368 points to 317 for La Cueva and 224 for Eldorado. Los Alamos (205) was fourth, while Cruces finished third and the Lady Wildcats eighth in the 400 freestyle relay finale (3:44.76) to come in at 183 to 182 for Clovis.
CHS coach Vincent de Maio said everyone on both of his squads scored by making either Saturday’s championship or consolation semifinals.
“The medleys (medley relays) were tough,” he said. They were all really close races. I was proud of our kids; they did a great job.”
The teams combined to set five school records on Saturday, including four by the boys. Aponte was involved in three of them and Skuse two, with both swimming with Brian Nordgren and Barrett Bryant on the fourth-place 200 freestyle relay, which clocked a time of 1 minute, 28.96 seconds.
Aponte finished second in the 100 breaststroke (57.65 seconds) and fourth in the 50 freestyle (21.77) for school marks, while Skuse’s records came on a second-place time of 47.59 in the 100 freestyle.
“James and Seiji were just super-good tonight,” de Maio said.
The Cats also finished fourth in the 200 medley relay (1:38.50), while other finishes in the championship (top eight) finals included Case Smith, seven in the 500 freestyle (5:04.30); Skuse in the 100 backstroke (52.40), and Brian Nordgren, third in the 100 breaststroke (59.23).
Junior Olivia Reeb set a school mark for the girls, placing fourth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.22. The Lady Cats placed in all three relays, going fourth in the 200 medley (1:51.86) and the 200 freestyle (1:43.33)
Individual placers in the top eight were Anya Hammond, fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:58.23) and seventh in the 500 freestyle (5:20.50), and Bella Zamora, fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:00.64).
“The girls swam great,” de Maio said of their bid for a top-five finish. “We just came up short.”
SUMMARY
Friday, Saturday
At Albuquerque Academy
Boys
Team standings: 1. Albuquerque Academy 325 1/2; 2. La Cueva 256; 3. Eldorado 243; 4. Sandia 200; 5. Clovis 180; 6. Albuquerque High 178; 7. Cibola 122; 8. Los Alamos 102; 9. Rio Rancho Cleveland 94; 10. Volcano Vista 79; 11. Santa Fe Prep 76; 12. Farmington 70; 13. Las Cruces 69; 14. Sandia Prep 42; 15. Santa Fe High 39; 16. Los Lunas 38; 17. Bosque 34 1/2; 18. Hobbs 33; 19. Artesia 32; 20. Cottonwood Classical 25; 21; Piedra Vista 23; 22. St. Pius 19; 23. Hope Christian 13; 24. Valley 8; 25. Atrisco Heritage 6; 26. Rio Rancho 5; 27. Manzano 4.
Clovis results
200 medley relay: 4. James Skuse, Brian Nordgren, Ethan Zamora, Seiji Aponte 1:38.50. 200 freestyle: 12. Zamora 1:52.10. 50 freestyle: 4. Aponte 21.77 (SR). 100 freestyle: 2. Skuse 47.59 (SR). 500 freestyle: 7. Case Smith 5:04.30; 15. Barrett Bryant 5:15.08. 200 freestyle relay: 4. Skuse, Nordgren, Bryant, Aponte 1:26.96 (SR). 100 backstroke: 5. Skuse 52.40. 100 breaststroke: 2. Aponte 57.65 (SR); 3. Nordgren 59.23. 400 freestyle relay: 10. Bryant, Alex Aburto, Smith, Zamora.
Girls
Team standings: 1. Albuquerque Academy 368; 2. La Cueva 317; 3. Eldorado 224; 4. Los Alamos 205; 5. Las Cruces 183; 6. Clovis 182; 7. Hope Christian 120; 8. Volcano Vista 118; 9. Albuquerque High 110; 10. Sandia 94; 11. Rio Rancho 91; 12. Rio Rancho Cleveland 69; 13. Bosque 55; 14. St. Pius 35; 15. Piedra Vista 30; 16. Sandia Prep 29; 17. Belen 20; 18. St. Michael’s 17; 19. Cottonwood Classical 14; 20. Santa Fe High 13; 21. Los Lunas 10; 22. Farmington 7; 23. Del Norte 2.
Clovis results
200 medley relay: 4. Bella Zamora, Olivia Reeb, Katie Kelley, Anya Hammond 1:51.86. 200 freestyle: 4. Hammond 1:58.23; 15. Annie Smith 2:05.82. 50 freestyle: 10. Kelley 25.88; 11. Zamora 26.01. 100 butterfly: 11. Kelley 1:02.72; 16. Nina Mead 1:04.81. 500 freestyle: 7. Hammond 5:20.50; 9. O. Reeb 5:20.61; 11. Katie Reeb 5:29.74; 12. Hannah Luscombe 5:30.20. 200 freestyle relay: 4. Zamora, Luscombe, Mead, Smith 1:43.43. 100 backstroke: 5. Zamora 1:00.64; 15. Smith 1:04.40. 100 breaststroke: 4. O. Reeb 1:07.22 (SR). 400 freestyle relay: 8. Hammond, O. Reeb, Luscombe, Smith 3:44.76.
SR—school record.