Local swimmers sting the competition

The Shafter Stingrays continued the competition season with a strong performance at the recent Lakeside meet, held at Garces High School on Saturday. With a total of 23 swimmers competing in 69 events, the Stingrays came home with several top ten finishes.

Shafter's teams is composed of swimmers of different skill levels and are from ages 7 to 16 years old. The team was led by Sydnee Macias and Josephine Martin on the girls' side and Sean O'Neil, David Serrano, Parker and Landon Valderrama on the boys' side.

Martin continued her strong season with a first place and two fourth place finishes. Martin won the Girls 11 50 yard Butterfly event and took fourth place in the Girls 11 50 yard Freestyle. She was also part of the Mixed 11-12 200 yard Freestyle Relay team which finished in fourth place with a time of 2:16. The other members of the relay team were Annemarie Puisar, Parker Valderrama and Sydnee Macias.

In addition to the fourth place in the relay, Macias also took home a third place in the Girls 11 50 yd Freestyle and a third place in the Girls 11 50 yard Butterfly final. Macias rounded out her meet with a fourth place in the 100 yard Freestyle Final. Annemarie Puisar took home more awards this week with four top five finishes. Puisar got a first place in the Girls 11 50 yard Breaststroke and got second place in the 50 yard Butterfly. Puisar added two fourth place awards, one in the Girls 11 50 yard Backstroke and as part of the fourth place relay team.

On the boys side, Sean O'Neill won the Boys 11-12 50 yard Breast Final as well as getting a second place in the 50 yard Butterfly and a fifth place in the 50 yard Freestyle Final.

David Serrano captured three fourth places on the day. Serrano got fourth in the Boys 14 100 yard Freestyle event, as well as fourth places in the 50 yard Backstroke and the 50 yard Breast Final.

Parker Valderrama was a part of the fourth place relay team and also took home third place in the Boys 12 50 yard Freestyle Final.

The Stingrays will be closer to home this weekend as they will be competing in a meet at powerhouse Rio Bravo Greeley on Saturday June 29. The meet begins at 9:00 a.m. with the Backstroke events. Shafter has meets remaining in Tehachapi, Bakersfield at the home of the Bakersfield Aqua Aces, with the season concluding at Bakersfield College at the Kern County Championships held on Saturday July 20.