By Kenna McMurray
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley Swim Team competed at the Pavilion Center Pool in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 26. This was the second swim meet of the season and the team was eager to compete against the other schools. Moapa was competing head to head against the much larger school of Valley High School.
First swimmer of the day was Kenna McMurray in the 200 yard Freestyle with a time of 2:45:00, placing first against four other Valley swimmers in the female division.
Porter Lamping competed in the same event and placed third against Valley with a time of 2:28:36.
Sarah Simmons, who is brand new to competitive swimming, placed second in the 50 Freestyle at 44.16 seconds.
Julia Eitzinger placed sixth in the same event with a time of 57:02.
Zach Waite also competed in the 50 Free and took second with a time of 28:87, placing just ahead of 3rd place finisher, Jon Snowden of Moapa Valley, who had a time of 29:88.
Breanna Sheldon and Sarah Simmons did well in the 100 Freestyle with Breanna placing second with a time of 1:18:83, and Sarah taking fifth with a time of 1:42:89.
In the 100 Freestyle male division, Porter Lamping placed an amazing first against Valley with a time of 1:05:89. Zach Waite was right behind him with a second place finish and a time of 1:06:46. Jon Snowden placed 4th with a time of 1:12:76.
Kenna McMurray then took 2nd in the girl’s 500 yard Freestyle with a time of 7:37:40.
The girl’s 200 yard Freestyle Relay team composed of Breanna Sheldon, Sarah Simmons, Julia Eitzinger, and Jordan Hardy took a 3rd place finish with a time of 2:55:96. Two members of the relay team then turned right around to compete in the 100 yard breaststroke. Jordan Hardy pulled ahead on the last leg and took a first in her heat, second overall, with a time of 1:34:06 and Breanna Sheldon finished with a time of 1:41:67. These swimmers went straight back in to swim in the 400 yard Freestyle Relay. First in the water was Jordan Hardy, followed by Breanna Sheldon, then Sarah Simmons, and finished by Kenna McMurray. The relay team placed first over other Valley relay teams with a time of 5:25:62.
The girls team, with only five swimmers ended up finishing just behind the 20 member Valley team with a total of 55 points.
“For our numbers we placed well and they did great,” said Coach Erinn Thompson. “We didn’t have a lot of people, but everyone that competed did the best they could and it showed.”
The boys team also fell behind Valley in point totals again because of the quantity of swimmers that the much larger Valley High School was able to enter.
This being only the second swim meet of the year, the goal for Pirate swimmers is to now consistently improve their times to try to post fast enough times to qualify for the regional meet at the end of the season.
