State girls: Palo Verde reclaims top spot in Class 4A

CARSON CITY — A drama-free afternoon for Palo Verde’s girls swim team Saturday set the stage for a raucous bus ride home.

After having their three-year state championship streak snapped last season, the Panthers made a relatively easy time of winning the Class 4A state title at the Carson Aquatic Club.

Palo Verde scored 109 points. Galena was second with 83 and Bishop Gorman third with 73.

“Last year we lost by 20, and that was just something we wanted to make up for,” Palo Verde coach Brent Gonzalez said. “We’ll enjoy this, and it will make the ride a little easier.”

Chloe Freeman won two events for the Panthers, taking the 100-yard butterfly in 56.55 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 5:00.11.

Palo Verde’s Paige Kuwata won the 200 freestyle in 1:52.36, and teammate Reese Hazen won the 200 individual medley in 2:03.81

The biggest concern for the Panthers was whether junior Victoria Gutierrez would be able to swim because of a back injury. She did and finished fifth in the 50 and 100 freestyles.

“Overall we were well-balanced,” Gonzalez said. “We just came out and swam.”

Bishop Gorman’s Audrey Yu had a hand in four wins. She won the girls 50 freestyle in 23.10 and the 100 freestyle in 50.84 and swam on the Gaels’ winning 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.

In the girls 200 freestyle relay, Yu teamed up with Paige Sondgeroth, Caroline Anderson and Emma Breslin to take first in 1:37.39, and in the 400 freestyle relay Yu, Sondgeroth, Devyn Wingender and Breslin finished first in 3:31.53.

Foothill’s Faith Brazil won the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.63.

Tech’s Elle Renner scored 539.75 to win diving.

Class 3A

Boulder City won its seventh consecutive state championship with 146 points, nipping second-place Truckee, which finished with 135.

“We didn’t have a lot of wiggle room, but the girls just did what they had to do,” Boulder City coach Sara Carroll said.

Aimee Garcia and Rose Pouch were both two-event champions for the Eagles.

Garcia won the 200 freestyle in 1:55.63 and the 500 freestyle in 5:07.58.

Pouch took the 200 IM in 2:05.06 and the 100 butterfly in 56.74.

Boulder City’s 400 freestyle relay team of Garcia, Tara Kelsey, Qunici Thomas and Pouch finished first in 3:41.64.

Mojave’s Noriah Cook won the 100 backstroke in 1:00.05.