San Benito won every event Friday and the boys and girls swim
teams coasted to Tri-County Athletic League victories over
Alvarez.
Hollister – San Benito won every event Friday and the boys and girls swim teams coasted to Tri-County Athletic League victories over Alvarez.
The girls controlled the top two spots in all 11 events on its way to a 128-12 win. The boys team added second-place finishes in eight of the 11 events in posting a 121-12 victory.
“Alvarez did pretty good, considering it’s only their second year with a swim program,” Haybalers coach Leif Nordstrom. “They made some races pretty competitive.”
Five ‘Balers recorded new Central Coast Section qualifying times, highlighted by Lacey Larson.
“She’s been just over the CCS time the whole season,” Nordstrom said. “Today she went under by 2 1/2 seconds. She’s been working really hard.”
Katie Buzzetta earned a new CCS time in the 100 freestyle, winning that event in 57.04. Shelli Reed picked up a new CCS time in the 100 breaststroke, clocking in at 1:12.92.
Reed also took first in the 500 freestyle in 5:2741, becoming one of two ‘Baler girls to win two events. She also swam on the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams, which both took first. Demi Gatrell was victorious in the 200 IM with a time of 2:18.82 and the 100 butterfly at 1:03.69.
David Smith and Blaine Curtice both set new CCS times on the boys side. Smith’s came with his second-place time of 5:00.84 in the 500 freestyle. Brandon Drogemuller won that event in 4:57.29.
Curtice got his qualifying time in the 100 butterfly at 56.58 and also earned a victory in the 100 backstroke at 1:02.03.
Drogemuller had the biggest day of all. In addition to winning the 500 free, he took first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:22.37 and won the 200 freestyle at 2:02.89. He also swam on the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams that took first.
Smith added a first-place finish in the 50 freestyle and James Schafer took first in the 100 freestyle at 53.90.
Other individual winners on the girls side include Britt Howell in the 50 free (30.58) and Megan Geary in the 100 backstroke (1:11.87).
The girls 200 medley relay team of Geary, Gatrell, Stephanie Rodriguez and Jayme Telles easily won in 2:05.90, as did the 200 freestyle relay team of Buzzetta, Gatrell, Telles and Reed and the 400 freestyle relay team of Jarae Tanner, Larson, Buzzetta and Reed.
The ‘Balers will next travel to take on rival Gilroy in their second to last TCAL meet at 3:30pm Friday.
“That’ll be a better meet,” Nordstrom said. “Gilroy had a rough year last year but their slowly getting stronger.”
The meet against the Mustangs will be the final regular competition for the boys team. The last scheduled meet is against North Salinas, which does not have a boys team so it will merely be an exhibition for them.
