CEDAR CITY — The Canyon View High School boys swim team won the Region 12 championship in Richfield on Saturday.
Additionally, the Falcons’ girls team took third at the meet, which featured swimmers from all five of the schools in 3A’s Region 12 (Richfield, Carbon, Emery, Grand and Canyon View), in addition to swimmers from four area 2A schools, namely Gunnison, South Sevier, Beaver and Parowan.
“We had personal-best times with unbelievable drops of time,” Canyon View head coach Kirt Brown told Cedar City News. “If you look at their entry times and compare it to the results, it’s just quite amazing. I don’t know what they did. I can’t even take responsibility. I think it was a lot of just a total commitment by the team.”
Boys
Canyon View sophomore Kurt Morgan led the way for the Falcons, winning both of his individual events at the region meet. Morgan won the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 58.83 seconds. His teammates Joe Anderson, Karson Meredith, and Jonah Comino placed a respective third, fifth and sixth in that same event, collectively earning another 43 points on top of the 20 that Morgan got for winning.
Morgan also placed first in the 200 free with a time of 1:50.48, while teammate Nick Bittmenn placed fourth in the same race.
Canyon View junior Ethan Cannon won the 500 free in a time of 5:21.45., with teammate Bittmenn placing third. Later in the meet, Cannon placed fourth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:09.98.
Also for Canyon View, junior Sam Despain finished third in the 200 IM with a time of 2:19.79. He also placed second in the 100 fly with a time of 57.72. Ryker Poulos took sixth in the 100 fly.
CVHS senior Jacob Grimshaw placed second in the 50 free with a time of 24.04, while teammate Weston Alger took fifth in 25.07. Grimshaw also placed second in the 100 free, his time of 53.54 coming behind only Grant Kling of Richfield, who won in 49.91.
Canyon View’s Anderson, a junior, also took sixth in the 100 free with a time of 55.69.
The Canyon View boys also won both of the freestyle relays (200 and 400 yards) and took second in the 200 medley relay.
Girls
For the Canyon View girls, sophomore Annicka Lovell won the 100 back in a time of 1:06.65. She also placed third in the 200 free.
In the 200-yard individual medley, freshman Soleil Grimshaw took second and senior Riley Rushton placed fourth. Grimshaw also took third in the 100 fly, while Rushton placed fifth in the 500 free.
Canyon View junior Brenna Haley placed second in the 100 breast with a time of 1:22.75, while teammates Kaylee Quintanilla and Evageline Gadiner placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in that same race.
Also from Southern Utah, JayDee Schena of Beaver High placed third in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free, while Alina Lurth of Beaver took seventh in the 100 breast and eighth in the 50 free. They, along with male swimmer Brayden Gates, comprise all of Beaver’s team, which practices with Canyon View.
“They are doing fantastic,” Canyon View coach Brown said of the Beaver trio.
“There’s also one Parowan swimmer, Sydni Lauer, who also jumps over with us. Her mother is also part of the coaching team,” Brown added.
Lauer, a freshman, earned all of the Rams’ 37 team points by herself. She won the 100 fly in a time of 1:03.45. She also placed second in the 500 free with a time of 6:10.59.
Next up for the qualifying swimmers will be the 3A/2A state meet on Feb. 10-11 at Brigham Young University in Provo. For a complete list of scheduled entries (psych sheet), click here.
Region 12 swimming championships
Richfield, Jan. 26, 2023
Boys team scores
- Canyon View, 435.
- Carbon, 310.5.
- Richfield, 293.
- Emery, 281.5.
- Grand, 258.
- Gunnison Valley, 126.
- South Sevier, 123.
- Beaver, 5.
Girls team scores
- Carbon, 435.
- Emery, 372.5.
- Canyon View, 348.
- Richfield, 227.
- Grand, 218.
- Gunnison Valley, 65.
- Beaver, 52.5.
- Parowan, 37.
- South Sevier, 28.
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