The Pioneer High School boys and girls varsity swim teams clinched respective Golden Empire League titles at the GEL Swim Championship on Saturday afternoon.
With an undefeated dual meet record of 5-0 and a first place finish at the league meet this weekend, the girls won their championship with ease. The boys placed second at the GEL meet on Saturday but seized the league title thanks to a 5-0 dual meet season record.
“We are so proud of each and every one of our swimmers,” stated coach Mary Park. “I’ve never had a group work so hard to swim their best collectively as a team knowing what was at stake. Everyone knew they had to make their best times to make up for the deficit of their missing teammates and they succeeded! Almost every swimmer made at least one best time and we all achieved our goal as a team to earn the title of league champions!”
Despite missing about 11 Patriots this weekend, the 33 in uniform “gave their all and outswam the other teams,” Park recalled. The other schools included Woodland, Casa Roble, Dixon, Mira Loma and Rio Linda.
Junior Jojo Brant headlined Pioneer’s individual awards as the Girls GEL MVP. Nine other Patriots received respective all-league selections by placing first.
Brant, and freshmen, Madelyn and Molly Terry and Whitney Martin, earned first in the girls 200 medley relay with a time of 1:59.28. Individually, Brant took first in each the 50-yard freestyle, with a time of 24.33 seconds, and 100-yard freestyle, clocked at 53.71.
Sophomore Sarah Starkovich won the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly with respective times of 2:11.83 and 1:02.94. Junior Sean Basinillo finished with a time of 2:22.72 to win the 100-yard individual medley.
Pioneer won both 400 freestyle relays. With a time of 3:52.04, the quadruple of senior Isabella Duarte, Brant and the Terrys won for the girls. The boys were clocked at 3:51.57, led by Basinillo, seniors Logan Martin and Daniel Riddiough and freshman Sean Christison.
The Patriots earned second place in seven events and third place in seven as well. Six individuals and four relay teams qualified for next month’s Division III CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Swim Meet.
Each individual gets to choose two events they would like to compete in. Those individuals are Brant, Christison, Starkovich, Madelyn and Molly Terry and Whitney Martin.
The four relay teams, which includes three for the girls, will compete in medley and freestyle relays. The boys 200 medley team consists of Basinillo, Christison, Martin and senior Fabian Rodriguez.
Martin, Terry, Terry and Brant will compete in the girls 200 medley and 400 freestyle, respectively. The girls 200 freestyle team includes Duarte, Starkovich, senior Olivia Gill and freshman Holly Huxsoll.
The CIF SJS Swim Meet will be held May 1-3 at the District 56 Aquatic Center in Elk Grove.
