Air Academy exceeds coach’s expectations to win Cheyenne swim invite
Air Academy coach Scott Newell didn’t think his team would win the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational. Despite winning the first three meets of the season, the one-time Wyoming swimmer thought the host of the meet would triumph.
“I was surprised,” Newell said, “pleasantly surprised.”
The Kadets rallied, and then flooded the competition Saturday with a first-place score of 531.5. The Indians finished second with 471 followed by Coronado with 430.5.
“I did not expect to win,” Newell said. “They’re teenage boys. I don’t trust my boys any more than I respect my competition. I am not like ‘Oh yeah, my boys can come in here and step on Cheyenne Mountain in their own house.’ No way. I respect Cheyenne Mountain way too much.”
Led by two Jonathan Littles wins, Cheyenne Mountain led the meet by more than 30 points after seven events. Littles took the 50-yard freestyle in 22.26 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 48.26.
“I wasn’t expecting to go that fast,” said Littles right after he won the 100 free in the seventh event.
Air Academy won three of the final five events. Breenan Mays won the 500 freestyle by less than 1 second over Lewis-Palmer’s Cade Baines in 5:00.84. Then, in his second and third events, Devon Davis helped the Kadets win the 200 freestyle relay (1:31.07) and he took the 100 breaststroke (1:01.52).
Earlier, the 6-foot-2 Davis won the 100 fly — but he wasn’t thrilled with his three first-place medals.
“My stroke isn’t where it needs to be yet,” he said. “I’m not where I want to be yet.”
With the inclusion of Justin Dearden’s win in the 200 IM, the Kadets won a meet-high five events. Cheyenne Mountain and fourth-place Lewis-Palmer each won three.
The two events Air Academy didn’t win in the final five, were rubber-neckers. Last year’s 100 backstroke state champ Ryan Arata of the Rangers won by more than 3 seconds in 52.81 to set a pool and meet record.
“My legs are a little tired,” said Arata, whose best time in the event is 49.3. “It’s hard to tell how you’re doing in the middle of the season, but we’ll see what happens down the road.”
And in the final event, Coronado’s Steve Peek and Cheyenne Mountain’s Littles went down to the wire in the final leg of the 400 freestyle relay. The Cougars posted 3:19.72 followed by the Indians in 3:19.92.
As a whole, with the gallons of state-qualifying times, the 14-team meet boasted the area’s and perhaps some of the state’s best swimmers.
“The level of competition shows how great this meet really is,” Newell said, “and how good these teams really are.”
RESULTS
Air Academy 531.5, Cheyenne Mountain 471, Coronado 430.5, Lewis-Palmer 393, Pine Creek 272, Rampart 235.5, Liberty 150, Pueblo West 125, Pueblo South 112, Doherty 111, Palmer 104, Wasson 84, Harrison 38.5.
200 medley relay—1. Lewis-Palmer (C. Cox, Arata, H.Bains, Havenar) 1:40.62, 2. Air Acadmey 1:40.65, 3. Cheyenne Mountain 1:45.23.
200 freestyle—1. Grant (CM) 1:48.14, 2. Knorr (CM) 1:51.13, 3. Frank (PC) 1:51.22.
200 individual medley—1. J. Dearden (AA) 2:02.58, 2. H.Bains (LP) 2:05.55, 3. Holmes (PC) 2:07.49.
50 free—1.Littles (CM) 22.26, 2. Arata (LP) 22.27, 3. D. Kay (COR) 22.48.
Diving—1. Purdham (LP) 335.85, 2. Guerin (PC) 307, 3. Hagglof (LP) 297.25.
100 butterfly—1. D. Davis (AA) 53.52, 2. Grant (CM) 54.52, 3. Trujillo (PW) 54.56.
100 free—1. Littles (CM) 48.26, 2. D. Kay (COR) 49.33, 3. Doerr (AA) 49.77.
500 free—1. Mays (AA) 5:00.84, 2. C. Bains (LP) 5:02.20, 3. VanDeVeer (COR) 5:09.77.
200 free relay— 1. Air Academy (D. Davis, Loyd, Shollenbarger, Doerr) 1:31.07, 2. Coronado 1:31.39, 3. Cheyenne Mountain 1:31.75.
100 backstroke—1. Arata (LP) 52.81, 2. J. Dearden (AA) 56.01, 3. Hale (CM) 57.11.
100 breaststroke—1. D. Davis (AA) 1:01.52, 2. Dickerson (CM) 1:02.82, 3. Aragon (PS) 1:03.25.
400 free relay— 1. Coronado (D. Kay, Albers, Rossmanith, S. Peek) 3:19.72, 2. Cheyenne Mountain 3:19.92, 3. Air Academy 3:23.32.
Air Academy’s Devon Davis finishes first with a time of 53.52 in the third heat of the 100-yard butterfly at the Indian Invite Saturday, April 7, 2012, at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Photo by KEVIN KRECK, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Cheyenne Mountain’s Eric Hale finishes fourth with a time of 2:10.71 in the second heat of the 200-yard IM at the Indian Invite Saturday, April 7, 2012, at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Photo by KEVIN KRECK, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Lewis-Palmer’s Hunter Bains finishes second with a time of 2:05.55 in the third heat of the 200-yard IM at the Indian Invite Saturday, April 7, 2012, at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Photo by KEVIN KRECK, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE