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After several weeks of practices, including morning practices before school, the Miner Swim Team traveled to McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center in Scottsdale to compete against Scottsdale Preparatory Academy and Scottsdale Christian Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Miners came away from the meet with mixed results. The boys won the meet and girls finished third. Final scores for the girls were Scottsdale Prep 136, Scottsdale Christian 80 and San Manuel 79. Final scores for the boys were San Manuel 120, Scottsdale Christian 101, and Scottsdale Prep 61.
For many swimmers on the team, this was their first high school swim meet. Two freshman boys, Colbey Stratton and Michael Garcia, made an immediate impact by being a part of some winning relays and finishing second in their individual events. A trio of new sophomore swimmers; Mariela Canisales, Angela Navarro, and Carlos Ortega; showed a willingness to accept tough challenges and performed very well at their first meet. Juniors James Duarte and Jared Gonzales both swam in their first meet with a determination that all upperclassmen will appreciate.
The Girls Medley Relay team of Amara Apuron, Cierra Austin, Nicole Primero, and Jazelle Sanchez finished second to a tough Scottsdale Prep relay. The meet for the girls would continue like that all day, Scottsdale Prep would win nearly all the events during the day and San Manuel girls swimmers would finish second or third. Since San Manuel only had eight girls at the meet, it was ultimately the team depth of Scottsdale Christian that allowed them to pull ahead of San Manuel in the team scores on the final relay.
The boys team yielded much different results. The 200 Medley Relay was extremely close as the team of Taylor Woods, Armando Noriga, Colbely Stratton and John Bribiescas finished fractions of a second ahead of Scottsdale Prep.
As the meet progressed, Senior John Bribiescas won the 200 freestyle by less than a tenth of a second and later went on the win the 500 freestyle. Sophomore Taylor Woods and freshman Michael Garcia finished first and second in the 200 Individual Medley (IM). Freshman Colbey Stratton finished second in both the 50 Free and 100 Butterfly. Senior Jordan Peasley won the 100 Backstroke followed closely by teammate Taylor Woods. Sophomore Armando Noriega won the 100 Breaststoke by a large margin. The boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay of Bribiescas, Stratton, Woods, and Garcia went on to win the final event of the meet.
Head Coach Alex Gort was pleased with many things he saw at the opening meet. “The freshman and first year swimmers looked great,” he said. Gort went on to explain, “Every year senior swimmers find a way to come through with something special, and at this meet it was John Bribiescas. He sealed the deal in the anchor leg of the Medley Relay followed only a few minutes later by an exciting win in the 200 Freestyle.”
The Miners next meet will be on Sept. 24 at home against Arizona College Prep (Chandler) and Florence High School beginning at 4 p.m.
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