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Members of the Boys 200 Medley Relay 9-10 age group are Ben Fister, Riley Stewart, Evan Apuron. Jeanine Apuron | Sea Lions
Jayden Smith (12) swims a first place win in the Breast. Jeanine Apuron | Sea Lions
Mason Stewart (8) swims his led of the 8 & U Medley Relay.
Jeanine Apuron | Sea Lions
Joey Castellanos (8) swims his leg of the 8 & U Medley Relay. Jeanine Apuron | Sea Lions
Emerik Zovko (8) swims his leg of the 8 & U Medley Relay. Jeanine Apuron | Sea Lions
The San Manuel Sea Lions hosted the Coolidge Dolphins on Saturday. It was the final dual meet of the season, and both teams entered undefeated. Great swimming and home pool advantage helped the Sea Lions win the meet with 1,071 points while the Dolphins finished with 576 points. This win marks the eighth consecutive year that the Sea Lions have finished the Central Arizona Swimming League Dual Meet Season without a loss.
The Sea Lions were solid at all age groups and in every event. Sea Lions won 66 out of the 88 events at the meet and had great team depth. In the races that Coolidge won, Sea Lion swimmers were able to finish second (and usually third) to keep the points coming in.
Kayla Lambiotte (6), Mia Dale (9) and Bonnie Bridges (13) all swam the maximum number of events and achieved best times in all of them.
Nine team records were broken at the meet and a 10th one was tied. Darien Apuron (50 Backstroke), Gianna Sweeney (50 Breaststroke, 50 Freestyle, and 100 IM), Evan Apuron (50 Breaststroke), and Will Newman (100 backstroke, 50 Freestyle) all improved team records in individual events that each of them held. Evan Apuron tied the 50 Freestyle record set by Will Newman in 2010 for 9-10 boys with a time of 30.50 seconds.
The 7-8 boys 100 yard Medley Relay team consisting of Mason Stewart, Emerik Zovko, Rocky Andrade, and Joey Castellanos broke the team record set in 2012 by Saul Noriega, Riley Stewart, Evan Apuron, and Brian Mulholland with a new mark of 1:31.59. In the boys 9-10 age group, Evan Apuron, Riley Stewart, and Ben Fister set a new 200 Medley Relay record of 2:44.31, bettering the old record by over 13 seconds (set in 2013 by Evan Apuron, Riley Stewart, and Brian Mulholland).
Evan Apuron swam the maximum number of events and won all of them.
The following swimmers had first place finishes on Saturday:
Anya Zovko, 6, (Free Relay);
Ebony Galarza, 7, (Medley Relay);
Nevaeh Derrick, 8, (IM, Fly, 50 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Malayah Renteria, 8, (Back, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Rocky Andrade, 8, (Fly, 50 Free, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Joey Castellanos, 8, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Emerik Zovko, 8, (Breast, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Mason Stewart, 8, (IM, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Briana Castellanos, 9, (IM, Back, 100 Free, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Mia Dale, 9, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Genevieve Estrada, 10, (Fly, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Rianna Estrada, 10, (Breast, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Ben Fister, 9, (Medley Relay);
Evan Apuron, 10, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Riley Stewart, 10, (Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Star Chavez, 11, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Angelina Tilley, 11, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Darien Apuron, 13, (Fly, Back, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Gianna Sweeney, 13, (IM, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Nate Fister, 11, (IM, Fly, 100 Free, Free, Free Relay);
Jayden Smith, 12, (Breast);
Andres Valenzuela, 12, (Free Relay);
Jessi Rice, 13, (Fly, Back);
Gillian Cole, 13, (IM, Breast);
Raya Woods, 14, (100 Free, Free);
Michael Primero, 14, (Free Relay);
Will Newman, 14, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Free Relay);
Angela Navarro, 15 ( Medley Relay);
Jazelle Sanchez, 17, (Medley Relay);
Nicole Primero, 18, (100 Free, Free, Medley Relay);
Amara Apuron, 18, (IM, Fly, Medley Relay);
Jacob Christian, 15, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Taylor Woods, 16, (IM, Back, 100 Free, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Michael Sanchez, 16, (Medley Relay).
This week Bonnie Bridges was named Sea Lions Beast of the Week. Bonnie swam all the events in the 13-14 girls age group where they swim longer races like the 200-yard Individual Medley and 100 yards of each stroke (Fly, Back, Breast, and Free). Bonnie worked hard in practice so she could achieve person best times in all six individual events at the meet on Saturday. Swimming every event at each meet she attends is something Bonnie has done all season. Her determination and perseverance are great qualities for any swimmer.
The Sea Lions next meet will be the Central Arizona Swimming League Relay Meet held in Florence at the Anthem Merrill Ranch Pool on July 12.
There is still time to join the team – contact Alex or Wendy Gort at 896-2190 or stop by the San Manuel Pool between 4 and 6 p.m. (Mon-Fri) for more information.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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