CHS, EHS Advance Swimmers from District 22-5A Meet to Regionals

Merely peeking into Belton High School’s Roy and Jean Potts Swim Center on Friday morning wasn’t an option. The cold air outside and the humidity indoors fogged up the doors that led into the spacious natatorium.

 

A breathMedal stand show offOnce inside with that steamy obstacle out of the way, though, there was no missing the action. And the objective of all involved in the District 22-5A swimming meet was as clear as the glistening water: nab a top-six finish for a regional qualification.

 

Numerous swimmers from Chaparral and Ellison were up to the task, racking up the necessary credentials in a variety of events. Most exited with multiple medals around their necks and ribbons in their hands. If not, new personal-best times were reason enough to celebrate.

 

“They did great. It was a wrap-up of all their hard work, and now we have regionals in two weeks,” Ellison coach Lara Sursa said. “These kids have earned every bit of this.”

 

Long practices dating back to August led to Friday’s four-team 22-5A meet, which also included Lake Belton and Belton –– two perennial district powers that send the league into the small-but-mighty category.

Swimming meet in Belton

“We have one of the tougher districts, and that gets overlooked because there are four teams. But, it’s such hard competition,” Sursa said. “These kids accepted the challenge and stepped right up to it.”

 

Now, more time in the pool is ahead. The Class 5A Region VI meet is slated for Feb. 7-8 at the Texas A&M Rec Center Natatorium in College Station. 

 

“Everything went well. This is a championship meet, and some of the kids got some personal-best times,” Chaparral head coach Tawnya Roupe said. “We have regionals next in two weeks, so the kids are excited about that. I’m really happy for them. They worked really hard for the season that they've had.”

 

Lake Belton’s boys and girls teams swept the team titles, while Belton’s squads were second, Chaparral third and Ellison fourth.

 

But, what mattered most was advancing.

 

“The competition drives us,” Roupe said. “One of the things I try to tell them is that I want to see them go up against their best time –– beat their best time. That’s what it’s all about.”

 

Butterfly in the poolBelow are the regional qualifiers from Ellison and Chaparral.

 

More photos from the 22-5A competition can be viewed here.

 

Girls

Chaparral

200-yard medley relay: Lailah Valadez, Myrnaliz Cintron, Jaela Micka, Trinity Miller (fourth)

200 individual medley: Miller (second)

50 free: Cintron (fifth); Payton Ghee (sixth)

100 butterfly: Micka (fifth)

500 free: Miller (fifth); Kaylee Clarke (sixth)

100 backstroke: Cintron (sixth)

100 breaststroke: Micka (fourth)

 

 

Ellison

200 medley relay: Megan Sursa, Elizabeth Kinsey, Gloria Oh, Kennedy Sanders (second)

100 freestyle: Oh (fifth); Kinsey (sixth)

200 free relay: Sursa, Sanders, Kinsey, Oh (fourth)

100 backstroke: Sursa (fourth)

100 breaststroke: Sanders (third)

400 free relay: Sursa, Sanders, Kinsey, Oh (third)

 

Boys

Chaparral

200 medley relay: Derek Myrdahl, Alexander Perry, Jesse Grant, Jovonni Mann (second)

200 free: Connor Bratton (third)

200 individual medley: Perry (third); Grant (fourth)

50 free: Mann (sixth)

100 butterfly: Myrdahl (third)

100 free: Jamarian Hall (fifth), Mann (sixth)

500 free: Bratton (second)

200 free relay: Perry, Hall, Grant, Bratton (third)

100 backstroke: Perry (fourth); Grant (fifth)

100 breaststroke: Michael Schubert (sixth)

400 free relay: Schubert, Hall, Mann, Bratton (third

 

Ellison

100 free: John Lucas Mangaring (fourth)

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