Guymon High School Swim teams qualify for state meet
On Friday, Feb. 5, the Guymon High School swim team competed at the 2021 West 5A Regional swim meet in Edmond, Okla., and brought home 11 state qualifiers.
As a team, the girls scored a total of 139 points and placed fifth. The boys team scored a total of 124 points, placing them in seventh.
A standout performance of the weekend was from junior Thomas Mussman, who set a school record in the 50 Yard Freestyle. Mussman swam a 23.09 which is the fastest 50-yard freestyle run in Guymon High School history. Mussman also qualified for the state competition in the 100 Yard Butterfly, in which he swam a 57.86 for 16 points at the regional meet.
Guymon Swim also qualified for state through the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay. The GHS relay team, consisted of sophomore Nathaniel Christian, junior MacKobe Merwin, junior Paul Oakes and junior Thomas Mussman. The team placed fifth in the relay at the regional meet, swimming a 1:42.33 for 28 points. Another GHS relay team qualified for state in the Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay—sophomore Nathaniel Christian, freshman Gavin Martinez, junior Paul Oakes and junior Thoma s Mussman. The 400 yard freestyle relay team placed fourth at the regional meet Friday, swimming a 3:55.92 and bringing in 30 more points for the boys team. Additionally, junior swimmer Paul Oakes performed the best for the Guymon swim team in the 100 Yard Freestyle race, placing 10th with a time of 1:00.39 and bringing in seven points and a state qualification.
Junior swimmer Nathaniel Christian qualified for the state swim meet in two additional races: the 50 Yard Freestyle and the 100 Yard Freestyle. Christian placed 16th in the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 26:41, bringing in one point. In the 100 Yard Freestyle, Christian placed 11th, swimming a time of 1:00.41 for six points.
Freshman swimmer Gage Gomez also qualified for the state competition in the 100 Yard Backstroke. Gomez placed eighth in the race at regionals, swimming a 1:11.61 for 11 points. Another swim team freshman, Gavin Martinez, qualified for the state meet in the 200 Yard Freestyle and the 100 Yard Freestyle. At the regional swim meet, Martinez placed 15th in the 200 yard race, swimming a final time of 2:16.93 for two points. In the 100 Yard Freestyle, Martinez placed 12th swimming a 1:01.73 to bring in five additional points for the team.
For the girls, an impressive performance from sophomore swimmer Lauren El-Amoudi at the regional tournament helped catapult the girls team to fifth place in the meet. ElAmoudi qualified for the state swim meet in multiple events. The sophomore will be competing in the Girls 500 Yard Freestyle after placing fifth with a time of 6:16.21 for 15 points. Additionally, El-Amoudi qualified in 100 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:24.57, placing sixth with 13 points.
The girls relay teams also performed well at the regional meet. The GHS Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team placed fourth in the race at regionals, swimming a final time of 4:43.54 and bringing in 30 points for the team total. The Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay team qualified for the state meet as well, placing fourth at regionals with a time of 2:20.22 to bring in 30 additional points. Freshman swimmer Katherine Zavalza, senior swimmer Jackie Martinez, junior swimmer Sydney Landers and sophomore swimmer Lauren El-Amoudi were the members of the GHS girls relay team for both of these
races.
Junior
Sydney Landers and senior Jackie Martinez will both compete at the state meet in the 100 yard breaststroke. At the regional meet, Landers placed eighth, bringing in 11 points with a time of 1:27.78, while Martinez placed 11th, bringing in six points with a time of 1:30.10. Landers will also be competing in the 50 yard freestyle in the state competition. At the regional meet, Landers placed 12th in the 50 yard freestyle, bringing in five points for the team with a time of 29.98. A freshman swimmer, Katherine Zavalza, will also be swimming the 50 yard free at state after qualifying at regionals with a time of 30.59.
Senior Bianca Hernandez will also be in the state competition, swimming the 100 yard backstroke and the 500 yard freestyle. At the regional meet, Hernandez placed 12th in the 100 yard freestyle, bringing the team five points witha time of 1:20.61. In the 500 yard freestyle, Hernandez placed ninth, swimming a 7:02.87 for nine points.
The teams will be competing in the state swim meet on Monday, Feb. 22 and Tuesday, Feb. 23 in Edmond, Okla. The boys prelims will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, while the finals will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The girls prelims will begin at 4 p.m. Monday, while the finals will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Both will be held at the Edmond Auquatic Center- Mitch Park in Edmond.