By Raymundo Frasquillo
PARADISE VALLEY – The Renee Stills-coached Morenci swim team heads to Paradise Valley on Friday, Nov. 7. Phoenix Country Day School is the destination for the 2-day Division III state meet, with preliminaries beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Four of Morenci’s 9-member roster, senior Maxwell Clancy, and sophomores Landon Curtis, Matthew Goodman, and Christian Kudadiri qualified for the three relays, ending 22nd in the 400 freestyle relay (4:05.45) and 27th in the 200 freestyle relay (1:48.56), both on Oct. 24; and 29th in the 200 medley relay (2:13.13) on Sept. 20.
Additionally, the Wildcats turned in qualifying times for 10 individual events, but will not be competing in them this weekend, as only the top 40 will slide into the pool.
Clancy qualified 43rd in the 500 freestyle (6:22.57) on Sept. 20, 70th in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.97) on Sept. 20, 79th in the 200 Free (2:19.74) on Sept. 26, and 95th in the 100 backstroke (1:23.42) on Sept.26; Kudadiri 59th in the 200 Free (2:12.43) on Oct. 24, 67th in the 100 butterfly (1:12.62) on Oct. 24, and 103rd in the 100 Free (1:00.43) on Sept. 20; Goodman 44th in the 500 Free (6:22.94) on Oct. 24 and 74th in the 100 Back (1:16.94) on Sept. 20, and Curtis 85th in the 100 Back (1:19.89) on Oct. 24.
The Wildcats’ regular season included competing in Maricopa (Sept. 4), Florence (Sept. 11), Tucson Palo Verde Magnet (Sept. 18) Canyon del Oro (Sept. 20), their own meet with Florence (Sept. 25), the Gilbert Williams Field Knight’s Invitational (Sept. 26-27), Globe (Oct. 7), Chandler (Oct. 11), and Paradise Valley Phoenix Country Day School (Oct. 14). The Southern Arizona final state qualifying meet was at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center on Oct. 24-25.
Morenci had two seniors, a junior, five sophomores, and a freshman. The seniors were Clancy and Bryce McGahee; junior Robert Hobbs; sophomores Curtis, Goodman, Carson Hobbs, Kudadiri, and Ryan Sullivan; and freshman Adrian Gonzalez.
Southern Arizona Regional Qualifier (Oct. 24)
The Morenci boys totaled 14 points, 25th of 31 teams competing in the Southern Arizona Regional Qualifier on Oct. 24. The Top three teams were Tucson schools: Salpointe Catholic with 444 points, Catalina Foothills second (327), and Canyon del Oro third (286).
Individual times for Morenci boys were 50 Free: Landon Curtis 28.22P, Bryce McGahee 30.28P, and Carson Hobbs 40.78P; 100 Free: Ryan Sullivan 1:18.59P, Robert Hobbs 1:25.37P, and Carson Hobbs 1:36.90P; 100 Fly: Christian Kudadiri *1:12.62P; 100 Back: Landon Curtis 1:19.89P; 100 Breast: McGahee 1:23.95P, Sullivan 1:38.60P, and Robert Hobbs 1:51.71P; 200 Free: Kudadari *2:12.43P; 500 Free: Matthew Goodman 6:22.94P; 200 Free Relay: Kudadari, Curtis, Maxwell Clancy, and Goodman in * 1:48.56; 200 Medley Relay: Sullivan (Back), Robert Hobbs (Breast), Bryce McGahee (Fly), and Carson Hobbs (Free) in 2:50.00; and 400 Free Relay: Kudadari, Curtis, Clancy, and Goodman in *4:05.45.
Other teams scoring were Tucson Rincon/University with 265 points, Marana (263), Tucson Tanque Verde (249), Chandler Prep (223), Vail Cienega (177), Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (169), Sahuarita Walden Grove (99), Sierra Vista Buena (90), Marana Mountain View (89), Douglas (80), Yuma Gila Ridge (72), Tucson Desert Christian (64), Florence (53), Tucson Mica Mountain (48), Tucson Ironwood Ridge (40), Tucson Magnet (37), Tucson Sabino (36), Sahuarita (35), Tucson Flowing Wells (34), Tucson’s The Gregory School (26), Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (21), Morenci (14), Tucson Sahuaro (10), Coolidge 6(), and San Tan Valley Poston Butte (2)
Tucson Amphitheater, Tucson Santa Rita, and Tucson Palo Verde Magnet did not score.
Individual event winners were 50 Free: Catalina Foothills senior Connor Daggett of 109 with 21.95, 100 Free: Chandler Prep junior James Thomas of 112 with 48.19P, 100 Fly: Tanque Verde senior Jackson Eftekhar of 57 with 55.58, 100 Back: Cienega sophomore James Hess of 94 with 55.96, 100 Breast: Tanque Verde senior Zachary Duerkop of 98 with 1:00.01, 200 Free: Canyon del Oro junior Jacob Callahan of 78 with 1:47.46, 200 IM: Canyon del Oro senior Cooper Dale of 54 with 2:03.79, and 500 Free: Rincon/University sophomore Tyler Shao of 53 with 4:50.08.
The winning relays were Salpointe of 23 in the 200 Free Relay (1:31.92) with senior Corbin Le Peau, freshman Ciaran Eller, junior Ryan Hough, and sophomore Nicholas Gaspers; Tanque Verde of 25 in the 200 Medley Relay (1:41.80) with freshman Kent Olsson, junior Wade Olsson, Eftekhar, and Duerkop; and Canyon del Oro of 20 in the 400 Free Relay (3:18.71) with junior Luke Weibel, freshman Aiden Custer, Callahan, and Dale.
Knights Invitational (Sept. 27)
The Morenci boys totaled 32 points for 11th of 15 teams competing in the Gilbert-held Knights Invitational on Sept. 27. The Top three teams were Gilbert Higley with 381 points, Chandler Heights Casteel second (296), and Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor third (277).
Individual times for Morenci were 50 freestyle: Goodman with 28.85 for 29th of 43, Robert Hobbs with 40:44 for 42nd, and with Carson Hobbs 45.44 for 43rd; 100 Free: Curtis with 1:09.61 for 35th of 43, McGahee with 1:13.70 for 38th, and Robert Hobbs with 1:38.24 for 43rd; 100 Butterfly: Kudadiri 1:18.66 for 12th of 13; 100 Backstroke: Clancy 1:23.42 for 15th of 25 and McGahee 1:40.50 for 22nd; 100 Breaststroke: Sullivan 2:02.88 for 28th of 28; 200 Free: Kudadiri 2:18.07 for 15th of 26 and Clancy 2:19.74 for 17th (200 Free); 500 Free: Goodman 6:32.51 for 12th of 15 (500 Free);
The 200 freestyle relay team of Curtis, Goodman, Kudadiri, and Clancy clocked in with 1:52.54 for ninth of 11.
Other teams scoring were ALA Gilbert North had 192 points, Tempe McClintock (186), Glendale Mountain Ridge (178), Gilbert Williams Field (147), Florence (106), Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin (102), Queen Creek Crismon (45), Morenci (32), Gilbert Mesquite (28), and Avondale Agua Fria (9).
Payson and Avondale West Point did not score.
Individual event winners were 50 Free: Higley sophomore Nathaniel Larson with 22.42, 100 Free: Higley senior Grant Kellis with 49.54, 50 Fly: Casteel senior Lincoln Bellgraph with 53.01, 100 Back: Casteel sophomore Jett Holbrook with 54.84, 100 Breast: Larson with 59.61, 200 Free: Kellis with 1:48.33, 200 IM: Holbrook with 1:58.51, and 500 Free: Higley sophomore Riley Price with 4:44.88.
The winning relays were Casteel in the 200 Free Relay (1:33.15) with junior Tye Becki, junior Jaden Napue-Robinson, Holbrook, and Bellgraph; Higley in the 200 Medley Relay (1:40.86) with Kellis, junior Aaden Amoranto, Larson, and Price; and Higley in the 400 Free Relay (3:20.65) with Kellis, Price, Larson, and Amoranto.
Canyon del Oro Classic (Sept. 20)
The Morenci boys scored 20 points during the 21-team Canyon Del Oro Classic on Sept. 20. The Top three teams were Tucson Salpointe Catholic with 320 points, host CDO second (308), and Phoenix Desert Vista third (262).
Individual times for Morenci were 50 Free: Kudadiri with 28.04 for 49th of 72, McGahee with 30:63 for 57th, Curtis with 31:95 for 61st, and Sullivan with 35.99 for 71st; 100 Free: Kudadiri with 1:00.43 for 26th of 62, Goodman with 1:04.18 for 37th, and Sullivan with 1:19.10 for 58th; 100 Back: Goodman with 1:16.04 for 22nd of 40 and Curtis with 1:29.05 for 32nd; 100 Breast: Clancy with 1:21.97 for 25th of 45 and McGahee with 1:32.88 for 40th; and 500 Free: Clancy with 6:22.57 for 15th of 20.
In the relays, the 200 Free Relay of Carson Hobbs, Robert Hobbs, Sullivan, and McGahee finished with 2:35.11 for 17th of 17; the 200 Medley Relay of Goodman, Clancy, Kudadiri, and Curtis with 2:13.23 for 14th of 16; and the 400 Free Relay of Clancy, Curtis, Goodman, and Kudadiri with 4:27.61 for 14th of 15.
Other teams scoring were Tucson Tanque Verde with 227 points, Tucson Rincon/University (183), Marana (170), Sierra Vista Buena (121), Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian (104), Douglas (74), Vail Cienega (66), Sahuarita Walden Grove (64), Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge (57), Tucson Sabino (55), Tucson Desert Christian (45), Tucson Mica Mountain (35), Tucson Magnet (24), Morenci (20), San Tan Valley Poston Butte (16), and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (7).
Tucson’s The Gregory School and Palo Verde Magnet did not score.
The individual event winners were 50 free: Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian senior David Landis with 22.42, 100 Free: CDO junior Jacob Callahan with 49.54, 100 Fly: Tucson Tanque Verde senior Zachary Duerkop with 53.01, 100 Back: Desert Vista senior Joseph Luken with 54.84, 100 Breast: Duerkop with 59.61, 200 Free: Callahan with 1:48.33, 200 IM: CDO junior Luke Weibel with 1:58.51, 500 Free: Weibel with 4:44.88. The first place relays were: the CDO quartet of sophomore Colt Nehrmeyer, Dale, Callahan, and Weibel in the 200 Free Relay with 1:31.24; the Salpointe quartet of sophomore Diego Torres, senior Edgar Torres, Hough, and Le Peau with 1:42.60 in the 200 Medley Relay; and the CDO quartet of Weibel, Custer, Callahan, and Dale with 3:18.07 in the 400 Free Relay.
