Santa Fe Prep girls qualified for state in five events at the weekend District I swimming and diving championships held at the Albuquerque West Mesa pool

By Arnie Leshin 

The Santa Fe Prep girls had a dandy time at the weekend District I swimming and diving championships, qualifying in five events for the upcoming state championships at the Albuquerque Academy Natatorium in five events, with freshman Sophia Gossmun leading the way for a group with only one senior.

 

Gossmun won two individual events — the 50 and 100-yard freestyles in state qualifying time. She turned in a 24.19 time in the 50, and did 54.60 in the 100. She bested the respective qualifying times of 26.19 and 58.59.

 

She also did the third leg of the 200-yard medley relay that placed third behind Los Alamos and Taos, but qualified for state in 2:04.81. The Hilltoppers raced 1:55 and the Tigers finished in 2:03.34. The three surpassed the qualifying standard of 2:05.59.

 

For the Griffins, the lone senior, Arielle Nathan, in her fourth year on the team coached by Dave Caldwell, did the opening leg, freshman Yangchen Rotto followed, and Gossmun left the anchor to junior Hayden Colfax, one of the most versatile athletes in the state.

 

Then there was sophomore Chelsea Griscom taking second in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:26.72 and the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:15.15, but neither were state qualifying times. In the 100-yard backstroke, Nathan came in third in the time of 1:07.81.

 

But the Prep 200-yard freestyle relay quartet did qualify for state with a second-place finish in 1:48.97 and a foursome of Ratto, Nathan, Griscom and Gossmun in that order. They bested the qualifying time of 1:52.69 in a race won by Los Alamos in 1:47.28. Third was St. Michael’s in 2:08.50.

 

The Lady Horsemen also took third place in the 100-yard freestyle relay and turned in a time of 5:02.53. In fourth was Prep in 5:15.71. Behind Gossmun in the 100 freestyle was St. Michael’s junior London Luttrell taking fifth in 1:04.97. In the grueling 500 free, Nathan took fourth in 6:31.56. The Toppers swept the diving.

 

In the team scoring, it was all Los Alamos on top with 643, the Griffins next with 289, Taos third with 222, Miyamura next with 168, then came Desert Academy scoring 141 for fifth place, St. Michael’s followed with 126, and Gallup taking the last spot with 126 points.

 

The Hilltoppers also claimed the top spot in the boy’s competition with 564, and again it was the Griffins in the runner-up spot with 260. Third was Taos (222), fourth was St. Michael’s (199), followed by Miyamura with 173, Gallup with 109, and Desert Academy with 12.

 

The boys turned in good performances, but didn’t come up with any state qualifying times.

 

The lone first place went to Prep senior Vineet Narayanan when he led the field by swimming 1:03.50 in the 100-yard backstroke. A second place went to Griffin senior Jordan Kinlaw in the 100 freestyle in 52.07, not far off the qualifying time of 51.19.

 

Also a runner-up was Griffin 8th grader Nico Roth with a time of 2:20.66 in the 200 individual medley, and Narayanan was right behind in 2:29.81. Adam Witt of Prep came in third in the 500 free in the time of 6:07.15.

 

Kinlaw took third by going 1:06.41 in the 100 breaststroke, and fifth went to St. Michael’s senior and captain Elias Woffinden, and he clocked 1:15.63.

 

The Horsemen also came in third in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:05.34. In the 200 freestyle relay, it was the Griffins taking third in 1:41.34, and in the 200 medley relay, Prep (1:52.66) and St. Michael’s (2:04.09) finished second and third, with the Griffins coming close to the state qualifying time of 1:51.09.

 

Los Alamos also swept the boy’s diving.