Swim team stays competitive midway through season

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Genell McClendon

Sophomore Elena Hall placed 2nd in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly. This is Hall’s second year to be on the SHS swim team.

Makeda Ephraim, Staff Writer

The swim team is halfway through the season with first and second place finishes in their first two meets as well as a loss at their latest meet.

They competed against Rockwall Wednesday, Nov. 3, and lost 196-137.

Senior Kyle Scritchfield placed first in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke and second in the Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke, earning the team a total of 10 points.

“It’s really fun,” Scritchfield said. “I’m just trying to enjoy what I have left of my senior year.”

Scritchfield is also on the boys’ relay team along with senior Lucas Carter and sophomores Jacobi Orange and Landon Dehn. 

The boys’ relay team took first place in the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay and second place in the Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay earning a total of 12 points for the overall swim team.

“I think we did pretty good, we’re a new team and still trying to figure stuff out,” Scritchfield said.

Freshman Aniya Dempsey placed second in both the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle and the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly.

Dempsey said the most difficult part of the meet was conquering nerves since Rockwall has such a strong reputation as a competitive team.

The girls 200 and 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team placed second in both events. Relay team members include Dempsey and fellow freshman Claudia Valasco Jaimes, and sophomores Elena Hall and Taylor Scott.

“I actually didn’t expect to win that event, so I was a little shocked,” Hall said.

The relay team’s finish in both events earned 16 total points for the team. 

“We kept the pace up well,” Dempsey said. “We were all kinda’ burnt out, but we still did our best and got second on both events.” 

The swim team’s next competition is Friday, Nov. 12 at the GISD Natatorium.