The Grand County High School boys swimming team placed first in a home meet against Carbon, Millard and Gunnison Valley on Tuesday, Nov. 21, led by a pair of individual wins by Braxten Pierce and victories in two of three relay events.
Pierce placed first individually in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:23.13, and in the 100-yard butterfly at 59.20. He was also part of a pair of first-place relay teams as he, Dallin Stucki, Alex Lacy and Corbin Arbon swam a 1:58.47 in the 200-yard medley and he, Lacy, Connor Ainge and Arbon swam the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:53.76. Grand swimming coach Brian Pierce said the Red Devils are closing in on school records in each of the relay events this season.
Grand also had strong individual performances from several swimmers. Arbon was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle at 25.20, and placed second in the 100-yard freestyle at 57.15. Ainge placed second in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:41.35, and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle at 57.52. Stucki placed third in the 100-yard butterfly at 1:16.04, and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:25.53.
“(Ainge and Arbon) are pretty solid swimmers,” Brian Pierce said. “Last year, Corbin had an injury and couldn’t swim the whole season. Dallin Stucki’s new to the team. He swam the butterfly for us and did well. We expect good things from him.”
Ainge, Stucki, Tyler Moreau and Trayken Robertson placed third in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 1:54.69. Robertson also placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:28.57, ahead of teammate Nathan Shafer, who placed fifth at 2:32.50.
Also competing for Grand, David Minor placed fourth in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:32.43 and Cody Johnston placed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:24.46.
Grand scored 322 points for the win, followed by Millard in second with 254 points, Carbon in third with 214 points and Gunnison Valley in fourth with 86 points.
“We had a pretty good meet overall,” Brian Pierce said, noting that the boys and girls combined for 25 personal or season best performances. “… The boys have some experience behind them, and that always helps.”
In the girls division, Carbon bested the field with 362 points, while Grand placed second with 195, Millard placed third with 153 and Gunnison placed fourth with 90.
Mary Kimmerle won both of her individual races, taking the 200-yard freestyle at 2:11.20 and the 100-yard freestyle at 57.39, besting the next-best competitor by more than 10 seconds in the latter race. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Brooklin Hugentobler, Kiersten Kimmerle, Mona Taylor and Mary Kimmerle placed second at 2:20.75. The same four girls placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay at 4:58.35.
Individually, Kiersten Kimmerle also placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:28.91, and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:44.35. Kyla Jackman placed third in the breaststroke at 1:33.72 and seventh in the 50-yard freestyle at 33.51. Taylor placed fifth in both the 50-yard freestyle at 31.52 and the 100-yard freestyle at 1:11.66.
Also competing for the girls, Hugentobler placed sixth in the 50-yard freestyle at 31.78 and Neelie Relph and Grace Johnston placed sixth and seventh in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:35.42 and 1:36.12.
The Red Devils also competed in Richfield against the host Wildcats and Gunnison Valley on Monday, Nov. 27, where the boys tied for first with the Wildcats as each team scored 112 points. In the girls division, Richfield placed first with 168 points and Grand was second with 78 points.
Several Red Devils won individual events in both the boys and girls division, including Braxten Pierce in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, Ainge in the 200-yard freestyle, Mary Kimmerle in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke and Lacy in the 100-yard butterfly.
Brian Pierce said that although there were about nine personal or season bests at the meet, the times posted were generally slower because of the Thanksgiving break layoff.
“Overall I think it’s an indicator of what happens after a holiday,” he said. “We’ve just got to get them back in the pool and get them back in shape.”
The Red Devils return home to swim against the Wildcats and Bulldogs again on Friday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m.
Red Devils post multitude of personal best times
What: Red Devil Swimming versus Richfield, Gunnison
When: Friday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m.
Where: Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center, 374 N. Park Ave.
