Cheyenne Mountain’s Pat Scally, who won a state title last year in the 500-yard freestyle, will have a chance to win two more individual championships Saturday at the Class 4A swimming championships in Loveland. He qualified for the finals in the 200 and 500 free. Scally finished second and sixth in his qualifying heats, but his plan was to conserve energy. 

“He knew what he needed to get done today,” coach Kate Doane said

James Grant had a good day for the Indians, qualifying for the finals in two events – the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

Arata looks to repeat

Ryan Arata won a pair of individual state championships last season and will be swimming for titles in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke Saturday. The sophomore is coached by his father Alan, who admitted he couldn’t get a read on his son’s confidence heading into the finals. 

“I don’t know, sometimes it’s hard to tell,” the Lewis-Palmer coach said. “Even though he’s my son, he doesn’t talk much about those things.” 

Fast as a Cougar

Coronado senior Jonathan Eng was the only Pikes Peak area athlete to advance to the finals in two events at the Class 5A meet in Fort Collins.

Eng was fourth in the 50-yard freestyle and fifth in the 100 free after Friday’s preliminaries.

The only other local swimmers to advance to today’s finals at Edora Pool Ice Center, juniors Austin Smith of Rampart and Justin Holmes of Pine Creek, will face off in the 100 breaststroke. Holmes was fourth and Smith fifth in the prelims.

Also, the Coronado 200 freestyle relay finished seventh to advance to the finals.

Rams duel

Smith qualified for the consolation finals in the 200 individual medley, along with Rampart teammate Ian Clarke.

Clarke also will compete in the 500 freestyle consolation.

Record day

Liberty senior Daniel Bradford set the school record in the 200 freestyle and was part of the record-setting 200 free relay team that qualified for the consolation finals.

Bradford’s individual time of 1:48.33 beat the previous mark of 1:48.87.

The Lancers’ relay, which also included Logan Sullivan, Matt Kloenne and Thomas Foster, finished 12th in 1:31.04 to advance to the consolation finals. The previous record was 1:31.67.

Eagles fly together

All three Pine Creek relays will race in the consolation finals.

The Eagles will be joined by Coronado in the 200 medley relay and by Liberty in the 200 free relay.

Pine Creek junior Jim Bossert also made the consolation finals in the 100 butterfly.

Spartans improving

Doherty had four individuals and all three relays qualify for the state meet a year after having just one athlete make the cut.

Coach Jenny Tomme said that this year’s contigent is the biggest in the past four years.

No swimmers advanced to Day 2, but the Spartans’ top qualifier, Taylor Stewart-Theifoldt, will compete in the diving prelims on Saturday morning. He is seeded second.

New do

Fountain-Fort Carson coach John Rork is going with the traditional shaved head-look at the state meet. He did, however, leave his goatee alone.

Photo by http://www.cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com/