The Grand County High School (GCHS) boys and girls swimmers competed in Cedar City on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10, where the boys broke the school record in the 200-yard medley and decorated senior Braxten Pierce broke the school record in the 100-yard butterfly.
In the medley, the quartet of Pierce, Pat Pakkarato, Alex Lacy and Dallin Stucki took sixth at 1:54.63. Pierce won the 100-yard butterfly at 57.52, the Red Devils’ only gold of the weekend, as they competed mostly with schools 4A and above. Millard, Gunnison Valley, Grantsville and Delta were the other 3A schools at the meet. Pierce also took second in the 200-yard individual medley, swimming a 2:09.96.
Overall, the Red Devil boys took ninth out of 12 teams, scoring 129 points; while the girls took 11th out of 12 teams, only scoring 16 points. GCHS swim coach Brian Pierce said that the Red Devils performed well at the meet despite too low finishes, noting that the team collectively had 20 personal bests.
“(The) kids did an amazing job in Cedar this weekend,” he said in a press release. “They had 20 time drops all together.”
Despite winning only one event, the Red Devils did have several other notable finishes. Pakkarato placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:10.47, while Lacy had a pair of top-20 finishes, taking 14th in the 100-yard butterfly at 1:06.69; and 18th in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:33.29. Arthur Hawks was 17th in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:12.91; and 40th in the 50-yard freestyle at 28.89. Trayken Robertson was 20th in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:14.99; and 29th in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:24.85; and Cody Johnston was 38th in the 100-yard freestyle at 1:05.55.
Kiersten Kimmerle had the highest individual finish in a girls event over the weekend, taking 16th in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:40.74. Josie Wakefield took 18th in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:22.46; and 25th in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:50.53. In the 50-yard freestyle, Grace Johnston placed 33rd at 32.72, and in the 100-yard freestyle, Neelie Relph took 46th at 1:18.67.
The Red Devils have three weeks between the Cedar City Invitational and their next meet, which is a three-team meet against Millard and Hurricane on Friday, Nov. 30, at the Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center (MRAC). GCHS’ only sports competition prior to the Thanksgiving break is the girls basketball team’s season-opening game at Green River on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m.
GCHS breaks a pair of school records
“(The) kids did an amazing job in Cedar this weekend.”
When: Friday, Nov. 30, at 3:30 p.m.
Where: Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center (MRAC), 374 N. Park Ave.
