AURORA | The Rangeview girls swim team’s lengthy tradition at the Aurora Public Schools Championship meet continued Saturday with a rarity.
Coach Robin Allen’s Raiders claimed championships in all 14 events during finals at Gateway High School on its way to a 20th consecutive victory in the meet, which brought together the city’s four girls swim programs for a 34th time.
Senior Shemiah Turner, juniors Isabella Gonzalez and Hailey McDonald and sophomore Daveah Archibeque won two events apiece for Rangeview, which also got wins from junior Kate Gomez and all three relay teams to sweep the city meet for the first time since 2017.
The Raiders — who were without standout junior Kayla Allen as well — finished with 493 points, while Hinkley (167) edged Gateway (152) for second place and Aurora Central accrued 25 to finish fourth.
Full individual events results from the APS Championship meet, here
McDonald accomplished a rare feat in winning diving in addition to a swimming event.
The junior — who competed at The REX Coaches Invitational prior to winter break — won her third APS diving title in as many years with a score of 297.15 points. After a short break, McDonald followed that up with a personal-best time of 1 minute, 11.25 seconds, in the 100 yard butterfly to win the event by five-plus seconds.
Turner continued her recent dominance in the APS sprint events, as she claimed the 100 yard freestyle for a second straight season and added the 50 freestyle crown as well. Both events had the same order in their top three as Turner finished in front of senior teammate Leilani Ransburg with Gateway junior Nyssa Bailey third.
Turner’s time in the 100 freestyle of 1:03.39 was almost four full seconds faster than her winning time in 2023, while she touched the wall in 28.62 seconds in the 50 freestyle.
While Turner took care of the sprint freestyles, Archibeque put Rangeview atop the podium in both the distance freestyle races.
She claimed her first APS title in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:27.19, good for a win by more than seven seconds over former teammate Kateland Rodriguez of Hinkley, while her margin was much greater in the 500. Archibeque touched the wall in 6:44.07 — seven seconds faster than her previous season best — and 40 seconds ahead of her nearest pursuer, teammate Lilia Juarez.
Gonzalez won her third career individual APS championship and second straight in the 100 breaststroke, which she captured with a time of 1:28:22, which was nearly a second faster than her 2023 mark. Gonzalez succeeded Kayla Allen — who was competing in another meet — as champion of the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:56.19 to finish in front of junior teammate Maddie Forbis.
Gomez took her title in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:21.77, which was just slightly off her season-best time of 1:21.57 recorded the previous day in prelims.
McDonald and Turner finished with wins in four of the four events in which they competed, as they were both part of the victorious 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams. Ransburg swam on the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams, as did sophomore Fernanda Recio. Gonzalez and Gomez also contributed to the winning medley relay, while Archibeque and Juarez swam legs on the 400 freestyle relay.
Hinkley finished second at the meet for a ninth consecutive time, though Gateway closed the gap from 41 points to 15 this season.
Coach Beth Himes’ Thunder got its top performance from transfer Rodriguez — who won an individual and three relay titles in two previous seasons with Rangeview — as she was the runner-up in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 100 yard butterfly.
Senior captain Andrea Campos — who sung the national anthem to open the meet — made two A Finals (taking third in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 backstroke), while junior Ana Campos claimed third in the 500 freestyle and both teamed with Rodriguez and senior Rylee Johnson on a second-place result in the 200 freestyle relay.
Coach Lizzie Novak’s Gateway team had a runner-up finish in the butterfly from Z’Dorn, who teamed with Bailey (third place in the 50 and 100 freestyles), Sophie Curry and River Akiwumi-Otu on the second place 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Aurora Central, coached by Barb Dirscherl, had Emely Alvarez qualify for two championship finalists and place fourth in the 100 freestyle, while sophomore Lizzett Mireles finished atop the B final in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
The rotating meet should take place at Hinkley next season.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2024 AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP GIRLS SWIM MEET
Jan. 20 at Gateway H.S.
Team scores: 1. Rangeview 493 points; 2. Hinkley 167; 3. Gateway 152; 4. Aurora Central 25
Event winners: 200 yard medley relay — 1. Rangeview (Kate Gomez, Bella Gonzalez, Hailey McDonald, Shemiah Turner), 2 minutes, 17 seconds; 200 yard freestyle — 1. Daveah Archibeque (Rangeview), 2 minutes, 27.19 seconds; 200 yard individual medley — 1. Bella Gonzalez (Rangeview), 2 minutes, 56.19 seconds; 50 yard freestyle — 1. Shemiah Turner (Rangeview), 28.62 seconds; 1-meter diving — 1. Hailey McDonald (Rangeview), 297.15 points; 100 yard butterfly — 1. Hailey McDonald (Rangeview), 1 minute, 11.25 seconds; 100 yard freestyle — 1. Shemiah Turner (Rangeview), 1 minute, 3.39 seconds; 500 yard freestyle — 1. Daveah Archibeque (Rangeview), 6 minutes, 44.07 seconds; 200 yard freestyle relay — 1. Rangeview (Hailey McDonald, Fernanda Recio, Leilani Ransburg, Shemiah Turner), 2 minutes, 2.63 seconds; 100 yard backstroke — 1. Kate Gomez (Rangeview), 1 minute, 21.77 seconds; 100 yard breaststroke — 1. Bella Gonzalez (Rangeview), 1 minute, 28.22 seconds; 400 yard freestyle relay — 1. Rangeview (Fernanda Recio, Daveah Archibeque, Lilia Juarez, Leilani Ransburg), 4 minutes, 52.06 seconds