Storm and Rams close out strong first season as separate teams

ALBUQUERQUE — Albuquerque Academy was packed with cars last weekend. Some were heading to the tennis tournament on the north side of the sprawling campus, but many more were heading south, to the Natatorium and the NMAA State Swimming & Diving Championship, which took place Feb. 20-22.

Not to spoil the end, but neither the Storm nor the Rams won. Bummer. The Rams boys finished 13th and the girls finished 11th. The Storm boys finished 15th and the girls finished 12th.

On the boys side, the top three team finishes went to Academy (1st), La Cueva (2nd) and Los Alamos (3rd.)

For the girls, the top three spots went to Academy (1st), Clovis (2nd) and La Cueva (3rd).

But taking the state title (while always a goal) wasn’t really the mark of progress supporters, coaches and administrators were looking for this season.

“We performed at a 100% success rate! That is not normal, but we will take it,” said Rams head coach Jeremiah Stanton. “A major highlight [from the State Championship] is that our Girls 400 Free relay moved up and medaled at state taking 6th. Our boys were able to have all 3 relays final which was incredible.”

The key word for the CHS and RRHS swim teams this year was, “progress”. In that sense, the teams were very successful.

“We had a fantastic year,” said Stanton. “Every single swimmer improved by leaps and bounds. We had a handful of athletes [who] never swam before, and at the end of the season they were able to compete in the longest [high school] event.”

Both the Rams and the Storm attacked the season with fervor and tenacity and will prove to be tough outs in future State Championships.

For Stanton, next season is about expanding the program and building on this season’s successes.

“We are definitely not there yet but I’m happy with what we did,” he said. “We need more depth on our team, and we will continue to develop their technique and speed. We also need to recruit more divers. ...That is a huge component to be able to rank higher at the championships.”

The big winner for the day on the Cleveland side was Ava Schlosser, who capped off her star-making season with a 1st-place victory in the Girls 50-Yard Freestyle. She won the event with a time of 24.35, more than two seconds faster than the time needed to qualify for the state championship.

A successful 2024-25 campaign was an essential step for establishing these two programs, and they will both look to take another step forward next season.