Cheyenne Mountain's Buckley takes state title, leading Indians to third-place finish

THORNTON • Cheyenne Mountain’s Sydney Buckley had no clue in her submerged sense of reality. But her coach, Kate Doane, jumping up and down, flapping her arms gave it away.

Buckley had to look up to realize she won the 4A state title in the 100-yard butterfly as the Indians placed third overall Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center.

Air Academy finished eighth as standouts Andrea Rice and Kristin Walker swam their final races in high school. Discovery Canyon finished ninth as the young school quietly continued to build its program. And led by Allie Jacobs' third-place finish in the 200 IM, Coronado placed 10^th.

Fountain Valley diver Maia Presti took third and Alanna Erickson took a sixth and a seventh to help the Danes take 13th.

Kimi Tanabe’s fifth-place finish in diving helped Manitou Springs claim 27^th.

For Cheyenne Mountain, Coronado and Discovery Canyon its teams were highlighted by its young stars.

The Thunder had eight individuals and relays place in the state finals. The Cougars had five. Between the two of them, Coronado’s diver Kellye Rather is the only senior.

“Everyone is so young here,” Doane laughed.

The Indians are no exception.

In a white-knuckle affair, sophomore Buckley edged Pueblo West’s Haley Bertoldo by a couple slivers of a second in the 100 butterfly: Buckley 57.26, Bertoldo 57.53.

“I saw Haley off the reflection and I knew it was so close,” Buckley said. “I didn’t know (who won) until I looked up.”

Rice came in third in 57.82.

For Air Academy, it was a day highlighted by swimmers on the last lap of their high school careers.

Walker finished second in the 100 breaststroke and she and Rice helped the 200 medley relay to a sixth-place finish.

After the meet, if the water hadn’t drenched her enough, Rice’s tears made up for it.

“I just start thinking that this is my last time with this team and it just makes me break down,” Rice said. “I am just so proud of my team.”

When all was swam and done, Thompson Valley won its third straight 4A championship and Evergreen took second.

For the Pikes Peak-area schools as a whole and its four top-10 finishers, the day was summed up by the emotion exhibited: Air Academy coach Scott Newell cheering through a rolled-up piece of paper, Coronado’s Allie Jacobs climbing up on the podium, the Discovery Canyon girls dancing after their relay and Doane jumping up and down, flapping her arms.

“I’m just so proud of these girls,” Doane said. “I’m not (tired) yet.

"But my back is kind of starting to hurt.”

For everyone else, highlight your calendars for next year, for the best may be yet to come.

RESULTS

Team standings—1. Thompson Valley 304, 2. Evergreen 255, 3. Cheyenne Mountain 226, 8. Air Academy 105, 9. Discovery Canyon 82, 10. Coronado 65, 13. Fountain Valley 49, 27. Manitou Springs 14.

200 medley relay—1. Broomfield 1:47.93, 5. Cheyenne Mountain (Bauer, Roach, Lovaas, Gach) 1:51.47, 6. Air Academy (Lunt, Walker, Denny, Rice) 1:51.91, 8. Discovery Canyon (Hand, Funk, Oldach, Oettinger) 1:53.80.

200 freestyle—1. Malazdrewicz (EVE) 1:49.31, 4. Bauer (CM) 1:56.10, 12. Oettinger (DC) 2:00.79.

200 individual medley—1. Morrow (EVE) 2:08.30, 3. A. Jacobs (COR) 2:09.57, 8. Lovaas (CM) 2:12.62, 10. Roach (CM) 2:12.39, 12. Walker (AA) 2:15.28, 14. Wice (CM) 2:15.74.

50 free—1. Saiz (PS) 24.42, 7. Erickson (FV) 24.99, 8. Rice (AA) 25.05, 9. Buckley (CM) 24.84, 13. Kimball (CM) 25.36, 15. Gach (CM) 25.38.

Diving—1. Beckwith (SMA) 487.20, 3. Presti (FV) 435.6, 5. Tanabe (MS) 401.0, 9. Hale (CM) 375.95, 12. Rather (COR) 363.35, 13. Valliere (DC) 361.30, 15. Johnson (AA) 349.15, 16. Plentl (DC) 347.50.

100 butterfly—1. S. Buckley (CM) 57.26, 3. Rice (AA) 57.82, 7. A. Jacobs (COR) 58.66.
100 free—1.Eddy (TV) 51.48, 6. Erickson (FV) 54.36, 11. Gach (CM) 55.73, 13. Dela Cruz (CM) 55.73.

500 free—1. Malazdrewicz (EVE) 4:54.65, 4. Wice (CM) 5:08.55. 

200 free relay— 1. Thompson Valley 138.95, 2. Cheyenne Mountain (Gach, Kimball, Wice, S. S. Buckley) 1:39.19, 7. Discovery Canyon (Bullock, Layman, Gutierrez, Oldach) 1:42.73, 9. Coronado (Stafford, Nesheim, Grosslight, A. Jacobs) 1:44.84, 10. Air Academy (Lundwall, Knock, Walker, Rice) 1:45.26, 13.0Fountain Valley (Carrese, Idland, McCurdy, Erickson) 1:46.98..

100 backstroke—1. Saiz (PS) 56.56, 6. Bauer (CM) 59.00, 15. Hand (DC) 1:01.77.

100 breaststroke—1. Morris (MON) 1:04.03, 2. Walker (AA) 1:05.49, 5. Roach (CM) 1:08.03, 6. Funk (DC) 1:09.12, 11. Knock (AA) 1:10.75, 12. Buckler (CM) 1:10.92.

400 free relay— 1. Evergreen 3:33.44, 5. Cheyenne Mountain (Bauer, Dela Cruz, Wice, S. Buckley) 3:40.01, 10. Coronado (Stafford, K. Jacobs, Grosslight, A. Jacobs) 3:48.08, 12. Discovery Canyon (Bullock, Gutierrez, Hand, Oettinger) 3:49.94, 13. Air Academy (Smith, Creech, Brockie, Lundwall) 3:51.67. 

4A Colorado Swimmer of the Year—Heather Shaver, Broomfield

Area nominees: Andrea Rice, Air Academy

4A Colorado Swim Coach of the Year – Kayli Changston, Thompson Valley

Area nominees: Kate Doane, Cheyenne Mountain; Scott Newell, Air Academy

4A Colorado Diver of the Year – Mikhaila Eckhardt, Windsor

Area nominees: Kathleen Hale, Cheyenne Mountain; Shelby Johnson, Air Academy; Kimi Tanabe, Manitou Springs

4A Diver Coach of the Year – Sarah Easter, Windsor

Area nominees: Angie Soucek, Cheyenne Mountain