Cavs sending six to state swimming meet

Gumina leads way as College Park hopes to bring home multiple medals

College Park is sending six athletes to the UIL Swimming & Diving State Meet nextweek in Austin.

The 6A competition runs Feb. 19-20 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center.

Leading the way is sophomore Monica Gumina, who secured regional gold in the 100- and 200yard freestyles and also qualified in the 200 medley relay, which was called up after placing fourth.

“She’s done awesome,” coach Rachel Banes said.

“She’s been working hard, and she actually did a personal best in the regional finals in the 200 free and her 100 free.”

Her times in those events set school records, too

Gumina won the 100 free in 50.22 seconds, narrowly holding off Austin Bowie’s Diana Dunn (50.99) and took the 200 free in 1:47.89, which was just ahead of Austin Westlake’s Dakota Luther (1:48.16).

Banes said Gumina’s success comes downto her intense workethic.

“I’ve never seen a kid who is so focused and dedicated,” Banes said. “She never misses practice and she’s 150 percent committed to swimming.”

This is Gumina’s second year on varsity.

But she was relegated to swimming only on the team’s relays at state last year after an unfortunate turn of events.

“The night before regionals last year, she stepped off the stairs and rolled. her ankle really bad, so she didn’t get to compete at regionals,” Banes said.

That experience made her regional showing this year that much sweeter.

“You should have seen her face after the 200 free,” Banes said. “When she looked up at the time, it was amazing.”

Banes expects Gumina to challenge for state gold nextweek.

She has the fastest regional times in the 100 and 200 frees going into state, and she knows howto perform on big stages.

“She has the experience,” Banes said. “There’s really no nerves that I ever see in her. She’s always ready to compete.”

Gumina also anchored the medley relay with a blistering 23.1, helping it go from eighth in the pre-regional rankings to fourth.

Their 1:48.03 was good enough for a call-up to state.

The team also included freshman backstroker Jalyn Talbot, junior Victoria Hunt and senior Isabel Tank.

“(Talbot) wasn’t on the district relay, but she swam so well at district that I put her on the relay for regionals, and she did amazing,” Banes said.

“So that’s exciting, having a new kid coming up and doing well.”

Hunt also was called up in the 100 breaststroke, where shewas fourth at regionals with a 1:05.04, and Tank was called up in the 100 butterfly after placing fourth at the regional meet with a 56.35.

Rounding out College Park’s state qualifiers are divers Emma Dellmore and Claire Andrews.

The seniors finished 1-2 in the 1-meter diving competition, with Dellmore winning with 476.20 points and Andrews taking silver with460.90.

Banes said she expected themto showwell at the regional meet.

“I’ve known both of them since they were in middle school, because I used to coach them in club diving, and so I’ve seen them grow up,” She said. “They’re both hard-working ladies.”

Andrews is committed to Notre Dame and Dellmore to Kentucky.

They went back and forth all season, with Dellmore narrowly coming out ahead at the regional meet.

“They were within one point of each other before the finals, and it came down to their last dives,” Banes said. “Claire had a chance to beat Emma, but she over-rotated her double pike just a little bit.”

Dellmore also won a regional title two years ago, sending her to the state meet.

This is Andrews’ first trip to state.

“I’m hoping they finish in the top three,” Banes said.

“Right now, they’re ranked fourth and fifth, and they’re real close to third place, so hopefully they can move up.”