Sports
Lady Pintos Turning Support Role Around

Young Pinto Wins Moriarty Practice Meet

Pintos Finish Opening Tournament in Fourth Place

Sports Shorts

Moriarty Kicks Off Against Pius

Manzano Starts With New Coach

Monarchs Ready for Season

Monarchs Want To Build on 6th-Place Finish at State

Freshman Gives Softball Ol' College Try

EMHS Excited About Gym

More
Sports

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, December 7, 2006

Manzano's Swimmers Start Fast

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
    The swimming world, like Einstein's universe, needs the elements of time and space to define its parameters.
    Manzano High's Marissa Campbell, the anchor of the Lady Monarchs' 400-yard freestyle relay team, stood on the starting pedestal as she prepared to dive into lane No. 6 of Albuquerque Academy's pool Saturday. She was set to traverse the one-way, 25-yard course four times.
    Entering her water world, a dimension in which she feels most comfortable, Campbell was in sixth place in a fast-heat field of eight. As she sliced through the aquatic realm, she immediately began to pass her opponents and was in fourth after the initial 50 yards.
    When the junior made her final, fluid turn and headed south for the remaining 25 yards, she was rapidly closing on the two leaders. She would have overtaken second with an added 10 yards.
    La Cueva won in 3 minutes, 54.59 seconds. Sandia High took second in 4:03.04.
    The Manzano quartet of Tiva North, Hannah Mercier, Terisse Brocato and Campbell finished in third with a combined clocking of 4:04.38. Campbell had the fastest leg, 52.96, of any entrant.
    The 5-foot-5 reigning state champion in the 100 backstroke had finished the meet with a bang.
    "I am happy," Campbell said. "I'm keeping my grades up. I'm doing great in swimming. I'm actually happy right now."
    The Manzano girls are off to a swimmingly good start. The Monarchs won the Albuquerque Public Schools quadrangular at the Highland Pool on Nov. 18 and placed sixth in the 12-team Charger Invitational on Saturday at Academy's natatorium.
    Campbell, who lives in Albuquerque, established meet and pool records in the back at the Charger meet with a time of 57.96. She also set a meet benchmark in the 50 free with a swim of 24.05.
    Campbell also was the victor in the 50 free (24.62) and the back (1:00.11) at the APS meet. Manzano took that initial competition 134-122 over runner-up Santa Fe High.
    Freshman Sanne van Swol of Tijeras helped the Monarchs with first-place finishes in the 200 individual medley (2:26.69) and 100 butterfly (1:07.22). Also Nov. 18, Jennifer Wylie won 1-meter diving with 154.65 points.
    "I qualified for state," said Wylie, a sophomore from Sandia Park. "You have to have an 11 DD (degree of difficulty) or higher."
    Wylie, who also swims, placed third in diving (141.30) at the Academy competition.
    The Monarchs amassed 433 points at the Charger invite. La Cueva scored 9631/2 for first.
    Mercier, who lives in Sandia Park, took fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.44).
    "I think it was an awesome meet," Monarchs coach Tammy Wilson said. "We had three more qualify (for state): Lauren (Jaramillo) in diving, Tiva in the 100 free and Hannah Mercier in the 100 breast. The boys (200) free relay qualified (Saturday), too."
    Jaramillo is from Tijeras. Megan Baker, Brocato and van Swol are East Mountain High students who are allowed to swim for the Monarchs.
    "We had a lot of kids come back from last year, and we have the East Mountain (High) kids," Wilson said. "I even have a kid from the Early College Academy. I can have (the charter-school athletes) if they live in Manzano's district."
    Taylor Busby, with a win in the 100 free (49.63), paced the Manzano boys at the Charger meet. The Monarchs were seventh with 290 points, while the hosts scored 933 for the team crown.
    Busby also led the team on Nov. 18 with victories in the 200 IM (2:07.28) and 500 free (5:09.23). Tijeras' Eric Lunsford earned the diving gold medal with 84.02 points.
    Manzano placed second at the APS meet with 122 points. Albuquerque High got 155 for the team title.
    "This is my first year diving," said Lunsford, a senior who placed eighth (95.30) at Academy. "I got first in my first meet, but there's a lot more competition at (the Charger meet). I'm doing OK in swimming, but I just can't get out of the 26s (in the 50 free). But I'll keep trying."
    Veronica Vazquez also swims for Manzano.
    "It's fun," said Vazquez, a freshman from Tijeras. "It's challenging, and I'm getting in shape. It's fun to be a part of my school."
    The Monarchs' East Mountains residents include Sandia Knolls' Chris Del Barga, Cedar Crest's Ian Kerstatter, Edgewood's Robert Webb, Tijeras' Phillip Atencio and Sandia Park's Mallory McCampbell.
    "I sucked last year," said Webb, a straightforward junior. "This year, it's going pretty good. I've only got one DQ (disqualification)."
    MANZANO WRESTLING
    The Monarchs took eighth at the 11-team Southwest Duals in Rio Rancho on Friday and Saturday.
    Manzano coach Michael Zufall said his team earned four victories against out-of-state schools. The Monarchs also defeated Santa Fe High.
    Manzano's Justin Martinez (103 pounds) and Jordan Eye (112) were 7-0 at the tourney. Cedar Crest's Caleb Krumel (189) was 5-2 with three pins.
    The Monarchs fell to Eldorado and Kirtland Central.
    Class 5A Manzano (6-2) beat 4A Academy (0-2) 48-31 in a dual on the Chargers' mat Tuesday. Manzano will enter the Las Cruces Invitational this weekend.
    MORIARTY WRESTLING
    The Pintos, with 156 points, took second at the Albuquerque High invite Saturday.
    The Bulldogs won their 11-team meet with 1911/2 points. Moriarty senior Tierney Nymeyer-Trujillo got the gold medal at 140 pounds.
    The Pintos' silver medalists were Ryan Collier (160) and Kenny Long (215).
    Class 4A Moriarty beat 5A West Mesa 45-36 in a dual at WMHS on Tuesday.
    Moriarty (1-1 in duals) will compete at the Capital High tourney in Santa Fe this weekend. However, the Jaguars' gym flooded last week, and Capital was still looking for a replacement venue as of Monday.