Swimmers competitive in final home meets of the season

The Grand County High School swimming team hosted competitions at the Moab Recreation and Aquatic Center on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 4 and 5, in their final home meet of the season. Meanwhile, the Grand County High School (GCHS) Red Devil wrestlers competed at the 3A Duals, a two-day tournament in Richfield, over the same weekend, going 3-6 as a team.

The GCHS wrestlers got victories over Manti (47-36), San Juan (54-15) and Carbon (48-30). The Red Devils lost to Delta (50-10), South Sevier (58-18), Richfield (60-24), American Leadership Academy (48-30), Morgan (51-24) and North Sanpete (42-41). Senior Jarom Shumway went 8-1 in individual competition over the weekend, while senior Trent Elmore went 7-2, senior Chris Thompson went 6-3, junior Carson Whitney went 6-3 and junior Dylan Harrison went 6-4. The Red Devil wrestlers are next scheduled to compete on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 and 12, at the Gunnison Invitational. Competition begins at 1 p.m. on Friday, and at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The GCHS swimmers placed second in the boys division and third in the girls division at a four-team meet on Friday, Jan. 4, with Emery, North Summit and South Summit. North Summit won the boys division with 485 points, followed by GCHS with 394, Emery with 374 and South Summit with 244. The Spartans dominated the girls division, scoring 598 points, while North Summit scored 370, GCHS scored 217 and South Summit scored 188.

The boys got individual wins from Braxten Pierce in the 200-yard individual medley (2:11.66), Corbin Arbon in the 50-yard freestyle (24.45), and Pat Pakkarato in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.57). Pierce also placed second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.19), Arbon placed second in the 100-yard freestyle (55.91) and Pakkarato placed second in the 100-yard butterfly (59.53). Pierce, Pakkarato and Arbon were joined by Alex Lacy in the 200-yard medley, placing second at 1:52.95. Lacy (fifth in the 100-yard backstroke, 1:09.62) and Connor Ainge (third in the 100-yard freestyle, 59.09; and seventh in the 200-yard freestyle, 2:11.66) also had top finishes for the boys.

The girls’ top performances on Friday were from Josie Wakefield in the 100-yard backstroke (second place, 1:17.39); and Kiersten Kimmerle (fourth, 1:11.87), Grace Johnston (sixth, 1:13.98) and Neelie Relph (seventh, 1:15.64) in the 100-yard freestyle.

On Saturday, the GCHS Red Devils hosted North Summit and South Summit in a three-team meet, where the Braves won both the boys and girls divisions, scoring 374 girls points and 358 boys points. Grand was second in both divisions with 196 girls points and 301 boys points. South Summit scored 170 in the girls division and 184 points in the boys division.

Swimming in his usual freestyle races, Pierce won by a steep margin in the 200-yard at 1:55.69 and the 500-yard at 5:28.52. Lacy placed second in the 200-yard distance at 2:17.98. The Red Devils’ other individual event victory came from Pakkarato in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.19). Arbon placed second in the 50-yard freestyle, running a nearly identical time from the day before (24.46), followed by Pakkarato in third (24.78). Arbon also placed second in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:08.43.

Pierce, Pakkarato, Arbon and Lacy placed first in the 400-yard freestyle relay, swimming a 3:43.37.

For the girls, Johnston placed third in the 50-yard freestyle (32.12), just ahead of Wakefield in fourth (32.42). Wakefield also placed second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:18.78). Kimmerle had a pair of third-place finishes: the 100-yard freestyle (1:12.30) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:26.59).

The Red Devils have three more regular season competitions prior to the Region 15 Championship meet on Jan. 24, two of which are this week. On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 and 12, GCHS will compete at the Cedar City Invitational, followed by a head-to-head meet versus Gunnison Valley in Gunnison on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 4 p.m.

Red Devil wrestlers go 3-6 at 3A Duals

Author: Tim Chappell

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