Morenci, Casa Grande tie at Oro Valley meet
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – The Morenci Aquatic Center will host the Renee Still-coached Wildcats as they meet the Florence Gophers on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
To date, all seven Wildcats have posted times in two state qualifying meets, the Chandler Croswhite Invitational (Sept. 12) and the Oro Valley Canyon del Oro Classic (Sept. 19).
The team members include juniors Landon Curtiss, Caleb Hancock, Carson Hobbs, and Matthew Goodman, as well as freshmen Benjamin Clancy, Christopher Marble, and Jaxon Sullivan.
Curtis has team bests in the 50 Freestyle (26.99, Sept. 19) and 100 Backstroke (1:15.13, Sept. 19); Hancock in the 100 Free (1:00.68, Sept. 19), 100 Breaststroke (1:33.51, Sept. 12), and 200 Individual Medley (2:44.15); Marble in the 100 Butterfly (1:07.71, Sept. 12) and 500 Free (6:28.99, Sept. 19).
Team bests for relay events are, the 200 Free Relay (1:54.71, Sept. 19) with Clancy (28.30), Curtis Marble (29.77), Goodman (28.16), and Hancock (29.19); the 200 Medley Relay (2:15.66, Sept. 12) with Clancy, Hancock, Marble, and Goodman; and the 400 Free Relay (4:43.10, Sept. 19) with Curtiss, Hancock, Jaxon Sullivan, and Marble.
The Wildcats will compete in two more state qualifying meets, the Gilbert Higley/Williams Field Knight’s Invitational (Sept. 26) and the Southern Arizona final state qualifying meet at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center on Oct. 23-24.
Morenci hosts two meets: Sept. 24 with Florence and Oct. 15 with Douglas and Globe, and attends one in Paradise Valley with Phoenix Country Day School on Sept. 29.
Canyon del Oro Classic (Sept. 19)
Morenci team members also posting times were Sullivan in the 50 Free (32.35) and 100 Free (1:12.21); Clancy in the 100 Breast (1:47.87) and 200 IM (2:55.79); Goodman in the 500 Free (6:42.56); and the 200 MR with Clancy (43.72 Back), Hancock (32.94 Breast), Marble (31.30 Fly), and Goodman (28.25 Free) in 22:16.21.
The top three teams were Tucson Catalina Foothills first with 392 points, Canyon del Oro second (266), and Queen Creek Casteel third (202).
Tucson Rincon/University was fourth with 201 points, Marana fifth (159), Gilbert American Leadership – North sixth (144), Tucson Tanque Verde seventh (128), Tucson Sabino eighth (119), Vail Mica Mountain ninth (115), Sierra Vista Buena 10th (71), Sahuarita Walden Grove 11th (61), and Tucson Desert Christian 13th (57).
Vail Cienega was 14th (56), Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian 15th (49), Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge 16th (42), Gilbert Christian 17th (36), Sahuarita 18th (24), Tucson’s The Gregory School 19th (22), and Morenci and Casa Grande tied for 20th (12). Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic did not score team points.
Individual event winners were ALA – Gilbert North junior Zachary Warren in the 50 Free (21.15) of 69 and 100 Fly (49.77) of 28, Casteel senior Lincoln Bellgraph in the 100 Free (47.41) of 63, ALA – Gilbert North sophomore Christian Beltran in the 100 Back (54.17) of 43, Rincon/University sophomore Max Cook in the 100 Breast (58.87) of 47, Canyon del Oro senior Jacob Callahan in the 200 Free (1:44.94) 0f 41, Casteel junior Jett Holbrook in the 200 IM (1:58.48) of 19, and Canyon del Oro sophomore Aiden Custer in the 500 Free (4:45.24) of 26.
In the relays, the Casteel 200 Free Relay of senior Jaden Napue-Robinson, Holbrook, senior Tye Becki, and Bellgraph was first (1:28.78) of 23, the Rincon/University 200 Medley Relay of junior Aleksander Wolert, Cook, sophomore Haruhito Kazui, and junior Tyler Shao was first (1:41.06) of 23, and the Casteel 400 Free Relay of Napue-Robinson, Holbrook, Becki, and Bellgraph was first (3:16.49) of 20.
Croswhite Invitational (Sept. 12)
Morenci team members also posting times were Goodman in the 50 Free (28.50) and 100 Fly (1:19.43); Hobbs in the 50 Free (32.63) and 100 Free (1:22.71); Curtiss in the 100 Free (1:02.82); Marble in the 100 Free (1:03.89); and Hancock in the 100 Fly (1:15.56).
Clancy in the 100 Breast (1:47.87) and 200 IM (2:55.79); Goodman in the 500 Free (6:42.56); and the 200 MR with Clancy (43.72 Back), Hancock (32.94 Breast), Marble (31.30 Fly), and Goodman (28.25 Free) in 22:16.21.
The top three teams were Phoenix Desert Vista first (291), and both Queen Creek Casteel and Chandler Hamilton tied for second (215).
Scottsdale Chaparral was fourth (203), Phoenix Pinnacle fifth (180), Chandler Prep sixth (146), Queen Creek American Leadership seventh (143), Buckeye Odyssey Institute eighth (108), Cottonwood Mingus ninth (98), and both Gilbert Campo Verde and Glendale Trivium Prep tied for 10th (82).
Gilbert Perry 12th (67), Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor 13th (62), Tempe Prep 14th (57), Scottsdale Horizon 15th (53), Gilbert 16th (39), Surprise Shadow Ridge 17th (36), Maricopa Desert Sunrise 18th (32), Mesa Eastmark 19th (28), Mesa Mountain View and Chandler tied for 20th (27).
Mesa Heritage Gateway was 22nd (24), Paradise Valley 23rd (22), Queen Creek 24th (21), Yuma Cibola 25th (17), Surprise Willow Canyon 26th (13), Queen Creek Heritage Gateway27th (10), Maricopa 28th (6), Prescott 29th (3), and Phoenix Horizon Honors 30th (1).
Avondale West Point, Chandler Valley Christian, Douglas, Gilbert San Tan Charter, Globe, Mesa Skyline, Morenci, Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin, Surprise Valley Vista, and Tolleson did not score team points.
Individual event winners were Chaparral junior Cameron Zobec in the 50 Free (21.34) of 132, Queen Creek ALA junior Camden Brooke in the 100 Free (47.42) of 118, Tempe Prep sophomore Nevin Fitzgerald in the 100 Fly (52.51) of 80, Desert Vista junior Grant Rathjen in the 100 Back (53.99) of 97, Queen Creek ALA senior Kade Lewis in the 100 Breast (1:01.09) of 88, Chander Prep senior James Thomas in the 200 Free (1:46.81) of 41, Casteel junior Jett Holbrook in the 200 IM (1:58.75) of 38, and Pinnacle sophomore Ivan Chavkin in the 500 Free (4:48.98) of 37.
In the relays, it was a sweep by Casteel with the 200 Free Relay of Napue-Robinson (22.34), Holbrook (22.16), Becki (22.82), and Bellgraph (21.46) was first (1:28.78) of 35, the 200 Medley Relay of junior Logan Lewis (36.80 Back), Blake Colby (38.45 Breast), sophomore Max Certo (25.92 Fly), and junior Andrew Porten (27.63 Free) was first (1:41.06) of 36, and the 400 Free Relay of Napue-Robinson, Holbrook, Becki, and Bellgraph was first (3:16.49) of 30.
