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  The Central Arizona League Championship Swim Meet was held at the Coolidge Aquatic Center on Saturday, July 24.  The cool and rainy weather caused the Coolidge Pool Director to end the meet at the midway point.  The Sea Lions had many awesome swims and brought home 27 medals, and finished third overall as a team.  Team scores were:

First Place Tucson Aquabears – 672

Second Place Coolidge Dolphins – 459

Third Place Sea Lions Swim Team – 399

Fourth Place Florence Sharks – 51

Fifth Place Globe Piranhas – 41

  The Sea Lions were proud of the fact that despite the wet weather, all Sea Lions that had qualified for the meet came and did well – something no other team could say.  The weather did not effect how well the Sea Lions swam; they achieved improved times in a vast majority of the races. 

  Because the meet was ended early, Medals were awarded at team practice on Monday.

  Sea Lions Coaches were excited how well the first year swimmers did at the meet.  The 9-10 Boys Medley Relay consisting of Talon Riddering, Joshua Doucette, Ben Simons, and Darrian Kramer  was one race among many. In the Medley Relay, each swimmer swims a different competitive stroke (Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle).  Early in the season, it looked like the Sea Lions might not be able to swim this relay.  But at the Championship Meet, not only did the four  boys swim they looked like they had been swimming for years.  Everything fell in to place for them to finish in 3^rd place and earn a medal.

  Talon Riddering (10) learned all four competitive strokes in his first year as a Sea Lion.  He had another great week of practice and the results showed at the meet.  His Butterfly time was 10 seconds faster than he had every swam before.  He followed up that swim with a 7-second improvement in his Backstroke.  His leadoff Backstroke on the Medley Relay was key to 9-10 Boys earning the bronze medal.  Talon was named Beast of the Week for his hard work during the week and accomplishments at the meet.             

  Evan Apuron (18) swam a sizzling 100 Backstroke in a time of 58.09 which is a new League Championship Record and a Sea Lions Team Record.

  With over 250 swimmers at the meet, any finish in the top 8 places was an impressive achievement.  Every Sea Lions swimmer had at least one top 8 finish at the Championship even though only half of the events were held:

Cassadee Brown, 5, (4^th Fly, 6^th Medley Relay);

Bradley Tafoya, 5, (5^th Fly, 6th Medley Relay);

Teddy Olson, 5, (7^th Back, 5^th Medley Relay);

Grayson Downing, 6, (4^th Back, 8^th Fly, 5^th Medley Relay);

Gabriel Hudson, 6, (4^th IM, 6^th Back, 4^th Medley Relay);

Asher Riekofski, 6, (4^th Fly, 4^th Medley Relay);

Ian Smith, 6, (7^th Fly, 5th Medley Relay);

Beatrice Olson, 7, (6^th IM, 4^th Medley Relay);

Naudia Garcia, 7, (6^th Medley Relay);

Alex Ervin, 7, (3^rd IM, 7^th Fly, 5^th Medley Relay);

Jorden Doucette, 7, (4^th Fly, 4^th Medley Relay);

Kori Andrade, 8, (4^th IM, 4^th Medley Relay);

Brielle Ellis, 8, (6^th Medley Relay);

Anabelle Sloan, 8, (7^th IM, 4^th Medley Relay);

Mario Primero, 8, (4^th Medley Relay);

Arizona Axe, 9, (7^th Fly, 8^th IM, 5^th Medley Relay);

Ben Simons, 9, (4^th Back, 6^th IM, 3^rd Medley Relay);

Maryann Jacobson, 10, (5^th Fly, 7^th IM, 5^th Medley Relay);

Lucy Olson, 10, (8^th Fly, 5^th Medley Relay);

Talon Riddering, 10, (3^rd Medley Relay);

Darrian Kramer, 10 (3^rd Medley Relay);

Joshua Doucette, 10 (3^rd Medley Relay);

Simon Fletcher, 10, (2^nd IM, 3^rd Fly, 3^rd Medley Relay);

Jocelyn Hudson, 11, (1^st IM, 1^st Medley Relay);

Rexy Simons, 11, (4^th IM, 6^th Back, 1^st Medley Relay);

Genaveeve Lopez, 12, (1^st Back, 2^nd Fly, 1^st Medley Relay);

Isaac Olson, 12, (6^th IM, 7^th Back, 3^rd Medley Relay);

Lily Axe, 13, (5^th Back);

Jordan Simons, 13, (3^rd IM, 2^nd Back, 2^nd Medley Relay);

Arianna Ervin, 14, (4^th Fly, 2^nd Medley Relay);

Julie Ramirez, 14, (2^nd IM, 1^st Fly, 2^nd Medley Relay);

Cooper Dale, 13, (1^st IM);

Ethan Erickson, 14, (1^st Fly, 1^st Back);

Israel Gonzalez, 14, (3^rd IM, 4^th Fly);

Ethan Kellam, 15, (1^st IM, 2^nd Fly, 1^st Medley Relay);

Will Simons, 15, (2^nd IM, 3^rd Back, 1^st Medley Relay);

Mia Dale, 16, (2^nd IM, 1st Fly, 2^nd Medley Relay);

Evan Apuron, 18, (1^st Fly, 1^st Back, 1^st Medley Relay);

  There is still time to join the team as practices will continue until the water cools down – Contact Alex or Wendy Gort at 896-2190 or stop by the Mammoth Pool between 4 and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information.      

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