Raiders bring home Crim Swim Invitational, as Criminal swimmer sets school record

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Crim Swim Invitational made its return to the Valley Aquatic Center Saturday, bringing together swimmers and divers from across the state for the event’s 26th annual competition.

This year’s meet was co-hosted by Yuma High School and Somerton High School for the first time, with six out-of-town teams joining all seven Yuma-area schools.

For Yuma head swim coach Rebecca Treas, the expanded field marked an important moment for the local swimming community.

“It's huge because over the past couple of years, this has kind of dwindled down to just kind of Yuma teams and not even all the Yuma teams,” Treas said. “So this year having, you know, six out of town teams plus all seven Yuma teams. I can't even explain what it is for the Yuma swim community to have everybody come out.”

The diving competition was dominated by Cibola, with all five local competitors representing the Raiders.

Daniel Hernandez won the boys competition, followed by first-year diver Bert Michel in second. Both earned state-qualifying scores, while Ian Mattson finished third.

On the girls side, Kelsey Sorensen took first.

Yuma Union High School District dive coach Andrea Hauck said competing at home gave the divers an added boost, with a strong local crowd providing plenty of support throughout the meet.

“It's definitely nice to be home in Yuma,” Hauck said. “The kids are comfortable. They got a good night's sleep last night at home. We didn't have to travel on a bus for four hours.”

Hauck said the support from the crowd also helped give the divers confidence throughout the competition.

“I think it gave them a lot of confidence just hearing those cheers when they came up out of the water,” Hauck said. “I think it meant a lot to them. I think it powered them honestly through the whole meet.”

In the team standings, Cibola claimed the overall team victory. The Raiders boys finished second behind Sabino, while the Cibola girls took first ahead of Yuma Catholic.

One of the biggest moments of the day came from Yuma senior swimmer Antonio Fierro, who broke a school record in the freestyle 50-meter with a time of 24.39.

Fierro and several of his baseball teammates joined the swim team as a way to condition for their upcoming baseball season. Despite missing practice during the week, Fierro said he was surprised to learn he had posted a record-setting time.

“I mean, I got out of the water and I thought it was I didn't show up to practice all week, so I thought I was going to come out here and just slow,” Fierro said. “And then, I don't know, I get out of the water and they're like, oh, you got a 24? I'm like, what?”

For Somerton senior swimmer Isabella Valenzuela, who represented one of the event’s two host schools, the Crim Swim Invitational remains one of her favorite events of the year.

“I really love Crim Swim. I look forward to it every year and this year is no different,” Valenzuela said. “I love the community that Yuma has surrounding swim.”

Valenzuela said the close-knit atmosphere is what makes the event and the local swimming community so special.

“The way everyone supports each other, you know, you'll never have anything stolen from you. You'll never have to worry about, you know, not being welcomed into the swim community,” Valenzuela said. “Everyone loves each other and everyone loves helping each other out.”

With strong performances across the pool, state-qualifying scores in diving and a new school record added to the books, the 2026 Crim Swim Invitational showcased the continued growth and community support surrounding swimming in the Yuma area.