RR boys take first in Farmington, top performances from local teams

FARMINGTON — Rio Rancho High School swim and dive rang in the new year on top of the podium.

At the Scorpion Invite hosted by Farmington High this past weekend, the Ram boys took first place, while the girls finished third for a second-place finish overall in what was another impressive meet by Head Coach Jeremiah Stanton’s crew.

“Our boys swam really well, even with coming out of our tough winter break training,” Stanton said. “We had a great meet.”

Winners on the boys' side included Charlie Scott, taking home both the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle, along with Sean Bogue winning the 100-yard breaststroke and Caleb Solis winning the 100-yard freestyle. Stanton said Solis was one of Rio’s top performers of the meet.

On the girls' side, Kendal Moody won the 200-yard IM and 50-yard freestyle. On top of stellar individual performances, Rio flexed its strongest muscle once again: the relay teams.

The Rams finished with two relay wins, anchored by Bogue, Solis and Jacob Rice in both the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle.

As for the Rams’ bus mates, it was a solid weekend from the Storm. Cleveland’s boys finished third, with the girls taking fourth in a weekend of top-notch times. 

Cleveland’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Lucia Pena, Hailey Wagenblast, Genavae Mason and Ziyah Chavez-Rodriguez delivered in impressive fashion, taking first place by a full 12 seconds.

For the boys, Guha Hari continued his hot start to the season with a win in the 50-yard freestyle, beating out what was a competitive field.

Hari also took second in the 1-meter diving competition, highlighting a growing part of the Cleveland program.

“Our dive team is gaining strength,” Cleveland Head Coach Patrick Dorman said. “All of our divers got an opportunity on the board in Farmington.”

With each meet comes another opportunity to compete, and the Rams and Storm have not wasted them. Evolving at a rapid rate, it feels as if the sky is the limit for these young programs.

Will they go the distance? Will they bump into each other along the way? Who knows, but no matter what, they will be having a blast on the rides home.

“The teams really enjoy traveling together,” Dorman said. “I love that we get the opportunity to travel together and represent Rio Rancho.