Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Freshman Zenayah Cortez set personal bests in two individual events, the 50 freestyle (30.40) and 100 breaststroke (1:33.95), plus was also on the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay, at Chandler on Sept. 15.
Morenci swim girls set 13 records, boys set six
By Raymundo Frasquillo
CHANDLER – Morenci is scheduled to participate in its second big swim competition, the Saturday Night Fever Meet in Chandler on Saturday, Sept. 29. First-year MHS head coach Eric Waananen has been preparing the Wildcats for two weeks.
Their previous meet, the Chandler Wolves Invitational, included 50 teams with 1,200 swimmers and was held Sept. 15. Participating were 17 Division I teams, 20 Division II teams, and 13 Division III teams.
Morenci’s girls posted 13 new marks in 14 individual races, re-setting eight marks and setting five new ones while competing in six of 12 events.
The 200 Medley Relay of Jadah Cortez, Savanna Titone, Taylee Bayardo, and Zenayah Cortez posted 2:14.95 (previous best 2:16.22) for 31st of 44 entrants, while the 200 Free Relay of Zenayah and Jadah Cortez, Titone, and Bayardo finished with 2:04.96 (prior best 2:07.60) for 36th of 41.
Emily Lundeen clocked in with 33.94 for 173rd of 228 and Izabel Uranzorig with 38.71 for 213th in the 50 Free; Bayardo 58.76 (prior best 1:01.75) for 41st of 230, Lundeen 1:17.46 (prior best 1:20.64) for 180th, and Uranzorig 1:23.67 (prior best 1:27.55) for 209th in the 100 Free; and Zenayah Cortez 1:33.95 (prior best 1:36.60) for 115th of 136 in the 100 Breast.
New records set were by Bayardo (26.54) for 41st and Zenayah Cortez (30.40) for 127th in the 50 Free, Jadah Cortez (1:12.87) for 157th in the 100 Free, and Jadah Cortez (1:29.93) for 118th of 139 in the 100 Back.
Titone finished in 1:30.00 (prior best 1:28.32) for 105th of 136 in the 100 Breast.
Phoenix Xavier Prep won the meet with 328 points, and Scottsdale Arcadia edged Mesa Mountain View for second place (234-232). Twenty-five other teams scored from one to 187 points and 22 teams did not score at all. Winning times for the events Morenci participated in were 24.52 (50 Free), 54.26 (100 Free), 54.50 (100 Back), 100 Breast (1:04.10), 1:39.13 (200 Free Relay), and 1:48.02 (200 Medley Relay).
Morenci Boys
Morenci’s boys re-set three records and set three new ones, but did not score team points while entered in five of 12 events.
The 200 Medley Relay of sophomores Israel Bernal, Jazper Brooks, and Thaddeus Gray, and freshman David Marquez Jr. clocked in at 2:16.97 to finish 37th of 40 entrants, surpassing their previous time of 2:24.32; Brooks broke his 50 Free time of 35.22 with 33.97 for 203rd of 212 entrants and 100 Free time of 1:26.67 with 1:20.90 for 196th of 201; and marks were set in the 100 Free by Bernal (1:01.93) for 117th and Marquez (1:10.83) for 178th, and in the 50 Free by Gray (24.75) for 60th.
Bernal was 68th of 105 in the 100 Back with 1:13.86 (prior best 1:12.97); Marquez (33.48) in the 50 Free (prior best 32.78) for 200th; and Gray (55.57) in the 100 Free for 63rd.
The 200 Free Relay of Bernal, Marquez, Brooks, and Gray turned in a 2:03.91 for 40th of 41 teams. The previous mark was 2:02.99 with a different order.
Phoenix Brophy Prep won the meet with 414 points, Mesa Mountain View was runner-up (270), and Tempe Corona Del Sol third (190). Thirty other teams scored from one to 161 points and 17 teams did not score at all. Winning times for the events Morenci participated in were 21.45 (50 Free), 47.14 (100 Free), 51.11 (100 Back), 1:25.90 (200 Free Relay), and 1:38.34 (200 Medley Relay).
