AURORA | The Rangeview girls swim team took yet another celebratory dip in the pool Feb. 1 as it extended its reign at the 24th annual Aurora Public Schools Championships.
Seniors Mariah Franklin and Yvonne Devora each won two events, senior Kelsi Richardson and Emma Hug also won and the Raiders claimed two of the three relays on their way to winning the district meet for the 10th time in the past 11 years.
Last season’s meet was fairly close, but coach Peter Gerard’s Rangeview team racked up 464 points in its raucous home pool to finish 135 points in front of runner-up Gateway. Hinkley took third with 243 points, followed by Aurora Central with 111.
“It feels even better to know that this is my last time at this meet and to win it,” said Franklin, who captured both the 50 yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke individually and swam on the Raiders’ winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.
“I feel like this meet’s gotten bigger and bigger every time and I’ve understood what it means to my teammates and the whole district,” she added. “It’s special.”
Gerard dove into the pool with his Rangeview team to celebrate. He was encouraged about the win, as well as how it sets them up for the East Metro Athletic Conference Championships Feb. 7-8 at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center.
“The girls swam awesome; they did what they needed to do in prelims,” he said. “We got great leadership from our seniors, even those that didn’t swim, and the underclassmen also stepped up. They were motivated to perform.”
Coach Dan Ambruso’s Olys posted four event victories on the day, with three of them involving junior Christina Horstman, who repeated as the meet champion in the 200 yard individual medley, also won the 100 backstroke and anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay team.
Gateway sophomore Jessica Mitchell earned 320.90 points to repeat as APS dive champion.
“I had a bunch of lifetime bests in the morning and our 200 freestyle relay was phenomenal, we haven’t swam that fast in quite awhile,” he said.
Junior Morgan Zugelder’s second place finish in the 100 butterfly — one of three finalists in the event for the Thunderbirds — topped individual results for coach Beth Himes’ Hinkley team.
“They knew they weren’t going to win it, but we’re going to make Rangeview work really hard for it,” Himes said.
Michelle Isom’s fifth-place results in the 500 freestyle provided the best finish for the Trojans.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
24TH AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP GIRLS SWIMMING
Team scores: 1. Rangeview 464 points; 2. Gateway 329; 3. Hinkley 243; 4. Aurora Central 111
200 yard medley relay: 1. Rangeview (Demi Hassan, Mariah Franklin, Josephine Koch, Bree Scott), 2 minutes, 10.33 seconds; 2. Gateway (Olivia Tyce, Nia Taylor, Hannah Espinoza, Chelsea Bailey), 2:33.54; 3. Hinkley (Jaqueline Quirazco, Anastasia Daniel, Magdalena Landa Posas, Estephania Aceves), 2:34.91; 4. Aurora Central (Michelle Isom, Daysi Ortiz, Shirley Tun-Verde, Aimee Lino), 3:03.11
200 yard freestyle: A Final — 1. Yvonne Devora (Rangeview) 2 minutes, 31.32 seconds; 2. Chynna Coleman (Rangeview), 2:33.84; 3. Beth Reeves (Gateway), 2:38.01; 4. Sydney Comet (Rangeview), 2:43.31; 5. Allison Maez (Rangeview), 2:48.12; 6. Shirley Tun-Verde (Aurora Central), 2:49.43
B Final — 7. Michelle Isom (Aurora Central), 2:53.70; 8. Vannesa Cruz (Gateway), 2:56.77; 9. Leith Wenzel (Gateway), 2:57.00; 10. Katie Manzanares (Hinkley), 2:58.20; 11. Tania Gonzalez (Hinkley), 2:59.50; 12. Jelena Durdic (Hinkley), 2:59.98
200 yard individual medley: A Final — 1. Christina Horstman (Gateway), 2 minutes, 28.87 seconds; 2. Demi Hassan (Rangeview), 2:36.13; 3. Josephine Koch (Rangeview), 2:43.41; 4. Kelsi Richardson (Rangeview), 2:49.69; 5. Amanda DiMarino (Gateway), 2:51.95; 6. Morgan Zugelder (Hinkley), 3:02.83
B Final — 7. Zion Jones (Hinkley), 2:59.29; 8. Kim Morris (Hinkley), 3:02.58; 9. Stephanie Pallares (Rangeview), 3:08.80; 10. Livi Bauder (Gateway), 3:15.44; 11. Magdalena Landa Posas (Hinkley), 3:16.83; 12. Tamry Romero (Gateway), 3:24.91
50 yard freestyle: A Final — 1. Mariah Franklin (Rangeview), 28.68 seconds; 2. Bree Scott (Rangeview), 29.30; 3. Savi Lester (Gateway), 29.78; 4. Emma Hug (Rangeview), 29.94; 5. Victoria Oliva (Hinkley), 31.92; 6. Hannah Espinoza (Gateway), 32.21
B Final — 7. Alexandra Aguayo (Rangeview), 31.58; 8. Estephania Aceves (Hinkley), 31.60; 9. Chelsea Bailey (Gateway), 32.86; 10. Haydee Lino (Aurora Central), 33.26; 11. Kimberly Moran (Hinkley), 35.01; 12. Daphny Xoy (Hinkley), 35.14
1-meter diving: 1. Jessica Mitchell (Gateway), 320.90 points; 2. Lluvia Vega (Gateway), 234.05; 3. Kayla Esquibel (Rangeview), 228.60; 4. Anna Ristvey (Gateway), 212.95; 5. Alli Rosales (Gateway), 201.50; 6. Asiana Quinn (Rangeview), 201.45; 7. Jacia Aguilar (Rangeview), 193.65; 8. Jessica Mercado (Hinkley), 178.00; 9. Jennifer Castruita (Hinkley), 173.60; 10. 10. Citlaly Cruz (Hinkley), 164.05; 11. Kimberly Quinonez (Hinkley), 134.95
100 yard butterfly: A Final — 1. Kelsi Richardson (Rangeview), 1 minute, 17.13 seconds; 2. Morgan Zugelder (Hinkley), 1:26.63; 3. Zion Jones (Hinkley), 1:26.79; 4. Stephanie Pallares (Rangeview), 1:28.66; 5. Magdalena Landa Posas (Hinkley), 1:32.17; 6. Allison Maez (Rangeview), 1:35.29
B Final — 7. Hannah Espinoza (Gateway), 1:33.92; 8. Micayla Zugelder (Hinkley), 1:35.27; 9. Tamry Romero (Gateway), 1:41.59; 10. Nia Taylor (Gateway), 1:43.96; 11. Akaisha Bowens (Gateway), 1:50.16; 12. Aimee Lino (Aurora Central), 1:57.94
100 yard freestyle: 1. Emma Hug (Rangeview), 1 minute, 6.45 seconds; 2. Bree Scott (Rangeview), 1:06.79; 3. Savi Lester (Gateway), 1:08.08; 4. Beth Reeves (Gateway), 1:08.44; 5. Brittany Ward (Rangeview), 1:08.49; 6. Olivia Tyce (Gateway), 1:12.35
B Final — 7. Alexandra Aguayo (Rangeview), 1:11.94; 8. Victoria Oliva (Hinkley), 1:12.12; 9. Estephania Aceves (Hinkley), 1:13.29; 10. Anastasia Daniel (Hinkley), 1:17.13; 11. Haydee Lino (Aurora Central), 1:19.47; 12. Tania Gonzalez (Hinkley), 1:19.55
500 yard freestyle: 1. Yvonne Devora (Rangeview), 6 minutes, 59.10 seconds; 1. Sydney Comet (Rangeview), 7:13.29; 3. Chynna Coleman (Rangeview), 7:15.88; 4. Rider Hoffman (Rangeview), 7:26.40; 5. Michelle Isom (Aurora Central), 7:27.27; 6. LIvi Bauder (Gateway), 7:45.11
B Final — 7. Shirley Tun-Verde (Aurora Central), 7:37.84; 8. Vannesa Cruz (Gateway), 8:21.67; 9. Chelsea Bailey (Gateway), 8:22.62; 10. Aimee Lino (Aurora Central), 8:24.67; 11. Salina Tesfay (Hinkley), 8:42.56; 12. Jennifer Castruita (Hinkley), 8:46.89
200 yard freestyle relay: 1. Gateway (Savi Lester, Amanda DiMarino, Beth Reeves, Christina Horstman), 1 minute, 57.52 seconds; 2. Rangeview (Mariah Franklin, Sierra Miller, Emma Hug, Bree Scott), 1:58.36; 3. Hinkley (Victoria Oliva, Estephania Aceves, Zion Jones, Morgan Zugelder), 2:11.64; 4. Aurora Central (Haydee Lino, Mekdes Eyayaw, Gisela Munguia, Aimee Lino), 2:39.54
100 yard backstroke: A Final — 1. Christina Horstman (Gateway), 1 minute, 08.91 seconds; 2. Demi Hassan (Rangeview), 1:13.96; 3. Josephine Koch (Rangeview), 1:16.30; 4. Olivia Tyce (Gateway), 1:22.02; 5. Kimberly Moran (Hinkley), 1:23.71; 6. Jelena Durdic (Hinkley), 1:25.12
B Final — 7. Daphny Xoy (Hinkley), 1:23.33; 8. Karina Asitimbay (Rangeview), 1:28.11; 9. Katie Manzanares (Hinkley), 1:28.90; 10. Akaisha Bowens (Gateway), 1:34.62; 11. Leith Wenzel (Gateway), 1:36.81; 12. Elly Smith (Rangeview), 1:39.44
100 yard breaststroke: A Final — 1. Mariah Franklin (Rangeview), 1 minute, 19.40 seconds; 2. Natalie Provancal (Rangeview), 1:24.22; 3. Amanda DiMarino (Gateway), 1:25.33; 4. Sierra Miller (Rangeview), 1:30.09; 5. Kim Morris (Hinkley), 1:31.34; 6. Anatasia Daniel (Hinkley), 1:34.22
B Final — 7. Nia Taylor (Gateway), 1:31.21; 8. Citlaly Cruz (Hinkley), 1:38.09; 9. Bonnie Khat-Krueger (Rangeview), 1:39.81; 10. Daysi Ortiz (Aurora Central), 1:41.07; 11. Sandra Tran (Gateway), 1:46.05; Autumn Whyte (Gateway) DQ
400 yard freestyle relay: 1. Rangeview (Emma Hug, Josephine Koch, Brittany Ward, Demi Hassan), 4 minutes, 23 seconds; 2. Gateway (Savi Lester, Amanda DiMarino, Beth Reeves, Christina Horstman), 4:24.37; 3. Hinkley (Victoria Oliva, Kim Morris, Morgan Zugelder, Zion Jones), 4:58.59; 4. Aurora Central (Shirley Tun-Verde, Gladys Peet, Michelle Isom, Haydee Lino), 5:50.06
