The Mesquite Manta Rays swim team didn’t win many first place awards at the 2012 Tri-State Championships, held in Cedar City, Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28. But it was worth the trip, according to Nick Montoya, superintendent of the city’s Department of Athletics & Leisure Services.
“It was great to see the kids compete on this type of scale,” Montoya said. “It was exciting for them … when they announced their names when they came to take the blocks for the finals.”
Kurt Felix, 6, won first place in the Boys 6 & Under, 25-yard Butterfly with a time of 36.05 seconds. Felix also took first place in the Boys 6 & Under, 25-yard Freestyle, winning with a time of 26.62.
“This meet was a very competitive one for the team,” Montoya admitted. “We took around 45 kids.”
The Mesquite Manta Rays finished seventh, overall. The St. George (Utah) Southern Utah Swimming Association (SUSA) Stringrays dominated the swim lanes, finishing first with an overall score of 884
The Fredonia Killer Whales were second with 765 and the Iron County Aquatics Team finished third with 750 points
The Dixie Aquatic Race Team Juniors followed at 598, while the Dixie State College Narwhals came in at 524.
The Hurricane Tiger Sharks came in sixth with 244 points. Mesquite earned 160.
“The kids did great and improved tremendously,” Montoya added. “We had some first-year swimmers place in the top right in their events and some events had 6-7 heats, and there were around 56 swimmers in some.
Montoya notes that Manta Ray Cameron Rivera was the youngest person there at age 4 and he placed in the top 8. Mesquite swimmer Jamie Hulet also showed in the top 8 in three.
But Mesquite’s inexperienced swimmers still had strong showings, according to Montoya
“In the relays we had a team of swimmers in the Girls 9- to 10-year-old Medley Relay,” Montoya said. “Three of them are first-year swimmers in the program and they finished in the top 8. They are the youngest team in their class, all 9, and one 8-year-old, Alayna Felix, Jamie Hulet, Zoey Tobler and Amy Stenberg.
Swimmers are allowed to compete in older age groups to fill gaps in the teams.
“The Boys 11 to 12, 200-yard Medley Relay was really exciting as they all stepped up to help out the team,” Montoya said.
Juan Jaiden, 11, wanted to compete in the event. But there weren’t other swimmers his age.
“So Ronald Nichols, 9, Hiram Rivera, 9 and Javen Laub, 8, swam with Juan Jaiden so he could compete in the event and the team took 6th place in the finals...” Montoya added.
The team will be heading to Hurricane this coming weekend for Beat the Heat swim meet.
Montoya included more individual results from the Iron County meet:
INDIVIDUAL FINALS
Event 13, Girls 7-8 25-Yard Butterfly
Fourth -- Montoya, Brooklin 7 Mesquite 27.24
Event 16 Boys 9-10 50 Yard Butterfly
Third -- Ludvigson, Stetson 10 Mesquite 47.55
Fifth -- Rivera, Hiram 9 Mesquite 55.74
Event 17 Girls 11-12 50 Yard Butterfly
Fourth -- Ludvigson, Kennedi 12 Mesquite 38.02
Event 24 Boys 6 & Under 25 Yard Backstroke
Third, Felix, Kurt 6 Mesquite 31.65
8th, Rivera, Cameron 4 Mesquite 40.18
Event 25 Girls 7-8 25 Yard Backstroke
8th. Hulet, Jamie 8 Mesquite 30.05
Event 29 Girls 11-12 50 Yard Backstroke
5 Graves, Kalli 11 Mesquite 39.08
Event 37 Girls 7-8 25 Yard Breaststroke
8 Hulet, Jamie 8 Mesquite 31.01
Event 38 Boys 7-8 25 Yard Breaststroke
8 Laub, Javen 8 Mesquite 30.94
Event 39 Girls 9-10 50 Yard Breaststroke
8 Tobler, Zoey 9 Mesquite 54.90
Event 40 Boys 9-10 50 Yard Breaststroke
5 Rivera, Hiram 9 Mesquite 56.72
Event 41 Girls 11-12 50 Yard Breaststroke
3 Ludvigson, Kennedi 12 Mesquite 43.22
Event 52 Boys 9-10 100 Yard IM
3 Ludvigson, Stetson 10 Mesquite 1:38.74
Event 53 Girls 11-12 100 Yard IM
4 Ludvigson, Kennedi 12 Mesquite 1:27.43
8 Graves, Kalli 11 Mesquite 1:30.96
Event 70 Boys 6 & Under 25 Yard Freestyle
1 Felix, Kurt 6 Mesquite 26.62
8 Rivera, Cameron 4 Mesquite 50.96
Event 71 Girls 7-8 25 Yard Freestyle
6 Memmott, Jordan 8 Mesquite 21.34
7 Montoya, Brooklin 7 Mesquite 21.72
8 Hulet, Jamie 8 Mesquite 22.62
Event 74 Boys 9-10 50 Yard Freestyle
3 Ludvigson, Stetson 10 Mesquite 36.46
RELAY FINALS
Girls 8 & Under 100 Yard Freestyle Relay
7 Mesquite A 1:44.52
1) Memmott, Jordan 8 2) Shaner, Alley 8
3) Montoya, Brooklin 7 4) Ludvigson, Tyra 7
Boys 9-10 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
6 Mesquite A 3:14.44
1) Laub, Javen 8 2) Nichols, Ronald 9
3) Rivera, Hiram 9 4) Juan, Jaiden 11
Girls 11-12 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
8 Mesquite A 2:30.27
1) Ludvigson, Kennedi 12 2) Tobler, Kylee 12
3) Graves, Kalli 11 4) Laub, Bailee 11
Boys 13-14 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
5 Mesquite A 2:40.27
1) Ludvigson, Stetson 10 2) Memmott, Andrew 12
3) Memmott, Jared 11 4) Durbin, Luke 13
Girls 8 & Under 100 Yard Medley Relay
3 Mesquite A 1:56.87
1) Ludvigson, Tyra 7 2) Memmott, Jordan 8
3) Montoya, Brooklin 7 4) Shaner, Alley 8
Girls 9-10 200 Yard Medley Relay
8 Mesquite A 3:59.78
1) Felix, Alayna 9 2) Hulet, Jamie 8
3) Tobler, Zoey 9 4) Stenberg, Amy 9
Girls 11-12 200 Yard Medley Relay
4 Mesquite A 2:50.40
1) Graves, Kalli 11 2) Ludvigson, Kennedi 12
3) Laub, Bailee 11 4) Tobler, Kylee 12
Boys 13-14 200 Yard Medley Relay
5 Mesquite A 3:02.90
1) Durbin, Luke 13 2) Memmott, Andrew 12
3) Memmott, Jared 11 4) Ludvigson, Stetson 10