SHS swimmers advance to Valley Championships

The swim teams for Shafter High School made a splash at the recent SSL Championships, qualifying a number of swimmers for the Valley Championship meet.

At the SSL Championships, Shafter qualified eight swimmers to move on to the Valley Championships.

The girls 200 medley relay finished in second place, with the girls 200 free relay winning their race. The girls 400 free relay also finished first.

The boys relay teams also did well. The 200 medley relay team got third place, while the 200 free relay team finished in second place.

Individually, Josephine Martin won two events, the 50 free and the 100 butterly. Annemarie Piuser got second place in the 100 free and got a third place in the 100 breaststroke. Another member of the relay teams, Mia Ruiz, placed third in the 110 backstroke.

Individually on the boys' side, Dallas Holguin captured third place in the 100 breaststroke and Christoher Rosette got third place in the 500 free.

The girls' relay teams dropped their personal best times. The 200 medley relay team shaved over seven seconds off of their best time, while the 200 free relay team dropped their best time by 4.2 seconds.

The teams have been thriving despite not having their own swimming pool. They are bussed to Independence High School for practice every day, with most of the students returning home at about 7:30 p.m.

"I am proud of our kids, battling through the challenges that they have faced, and still managed to improve and thrive in the pool," commented Larissa Davis, head coach for the swim teams.

The swimmers who qualified will travel to Hanford Sierra Pacific High School for the Valley Championships. Swimmers who place high in that meet will advance to the State Championships, to be held at Clovis West High School.