Local swimmers eye state meet after Colorado River Championship

Cibola boys and girls repeat as Colorado River Swim and Dive champions and lead a strong group of local swimmers to state qualifier

YUMA, Ariz. ( KYMA, KECY-TV ) - This past Friday and Saturday the Colorado River Swim and Dive Championships took place at the Valley Aquatic Center in Yuma. The event included teams from Cibola high school, Kofa, Yuma, Gila Ridge, San Luis, Mohave, Lake Havasu, Kingman and Lee Williams High Schools. The Cibola boys and girls teams won the overall team events for the second year in a row.

"We have many qualifiers for the state meet and several kids will be competing this weekend at the Skyline Aquatic Center," Cibola head coach Mark Dusek said. "Cibola qualified in the boys 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay."

Individual qualifiers include:

Ethan Jantzi in the 200 IM, and the 100 breastroke.
Ryan Dusek in the 200 IM, and the 100 backstroke.
Nicolas Acero in the 200 IM, and the 500 freestyle.
Gavin Logan in the 200 IM, And the 500 freestyle.
Jacob Pasquinelli in the 100 butterfly.

Cibola qualified in the girls 200 medley relay in the 200 freestyle relay.

Individual qualifiers include:
Peyton Doak in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke
Miah Duarte Olivas in the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke.
Amena Barker in the 100 breaststroke.

Gila Ridge also had a great showing at the Colorado River Championships with the boys team finishing in second place and the girls in third.

"On the girls side both Analiese Hancock and Sydney Sternitzke will represent Gila Ridge in individual events at state," Gila Ridge head coach Gregory Brown said. "Analiese will swim the 200 Free and 100 Breast while Sydney will swim the 200 Free and 100 Fly."

They will be joined in the 4x50 and 4x100 Relays by Isabella Fierro-Urias, Amelia Averett and Daisy Boelts. On the boys side both Erik Palacios and Brayden Cox will represent Gila Ridge in individual events at state. Erik will swim the 500 Free while Brayden will swim the 100 Back. They will be joined by Lincoln Rickleff and Mikey McCumbee in the 4x100 relay. They also will be alternates for the Medley and 4x50 relays. 

Cibola, Gila Ridge and Kofa will all represent Yuma at the state qualifying event today at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa. Should any qualify they will compete again on Saturday in the state finals.

On winning the event. Gila Ridge placed second for the boys and third for the girls. Cibola, Gila ridge and Kofa all have swimmers who qualified for the state meet at skyline aquatic center this Friday in Mesa. if they qualify on Friday, they'll swim again on Saturday in the Finals.