The Durango High School girls swimming team faced some of the fastest competition it will see all year at the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational over the weekend in Colorado Springs.
In the team race, Durango finished 17th out of 22 teams, but the Demons posted a few of their best times of the year at the meet and also didn’t compete in a few events.
Joellianna Rhode swam the 100-yard backstroke in 1 minute, 4.91 seconds during the prelims. Her finals time was slightly slower, but she ended up with the 24th best time overall out of 95 results in both the prelims and finals in the event to score five team points for DHS.
Olivia Becher also swam the team’s best time of the year in the 500 free. After swimming a 5:56.38 in the prelims, Becher knocked almost five seconds off her time in the finals and finished with the 24th best time overall, 5:51.43.
The Demons scored most of their team points in the 200-yard freestyle relay. After qualifying for the finals with preliminary swim of 1 minute, 52.14 seconds, DHS lowered the mark to 1:50.93, which was the ninth-fastest finals time and scored the team 22 points.
Durango also made the finals in 200 medley relay after posting a 2:07.51. DHS lowered the time to 2:05.03 in the finals to score 10 team points.
Both of those relays, however, swam faster times at the team’s home invites.
The 50 free had the most competitors in any event, with over 200 racing. Chloe Cook, however, managed to reach the finals for Durango in 26.78 and then scored a pair of team points with a swim of 26.86. Emma Ebner (28.70) and Erin Lawrence (28.85) and Ashley Forrest (32.37) also swam in the event for DHS.
Rhode also had the team’s best time in the 100 free (59.86).
Anna Lawrence led the team in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:27.57).
Abby Bowman swam the 200 free in 2:18.47 while Lawrence touched in 2:24.40.
Becher led DHS in the individual medley and just missed the finals after posting a 2:33.70.
Pine Creek won the meet with 531 points, followed by Cheyenne Mountain (462), Mountain Vista (303), Valor Christian (230) and Discovery Canyon in fifth (224). DHS scored 43 to finish ahead of Palmer, Woodland Park, La Junta, Pueblo West and Mesa Ridge.
DHS is next scheduled to race Jan. 13 at Delta High School and Jan. 14 at the Grand Junction Invite held at Colorado Mesa University.
