Hawks have high hopes for state swim meet

Gila Ridge has 4 swimmers seeded top 8 in at least 1 individual event

It’s been five years since a Yuma County swimmer placed top-four at state individually, but Gila Ridge is hoping that drought will come to an end this week at the AIA Championships at Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa.

The Hawks will be well represented in the Division II meet — which begins Friday and ends Saturday — with 11 individual qualifiers and five relays.

Four of those individuals — seniors Sydney Tunell, Ira Evans, Talen Osborn and Jessip Salizzoni — are seeded top eight in at least one individual event.

Tunell (No. 3 seed in 100 back, No. 8 in 50 free) has the best chance on paper of reaching the top-four podium, and is coming off a 2017 state meet that saw her finish tied for sixth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 back.

“She has a different attitude about this year,” Gila Ridge coach Greg Brown said. “I think last year, getting seeded so high (3rd in 100 back, 6th in 50 free) was different for her.

“This year, she’s happy to be where she is. I think she’ll be really good with her mental preparation.”

Though Tunell could outperform her No. 8 seed in the 50 free — seeds No. 3-8 are separated by just threetenths of a second — it’ll be difficult to do so in the 100 back. Tunell is seeded third at 58.43 (a personal-best set at Saturday’s Colorado River Championships), while No. 1 Helen Noble of Millennium is at 54.50 and No. 2 Sophie Velitchkov of McClintock is at 56.85.

Of Gila Ridge’s boys, Osborn has the best chance of securing the most points for the team. He’s seeded sixth in the 50 free (placed eighth last year) and seventh in the 100 free (10th last year).

“I obviously like Talen’s chances because the 50 and 100 free are wide-open races all the time,” Brown said. “You’re going to have kids who have bad days and kids who have great days, kids