Larissa Aviña
Age 15 | School Brawley Union High | Grade Sophomore
BRAWLEY — The regular swim season came to a close last week at the Lions Center here with the annual Imperial Valley League championships.
The final meet saw numerous athletes achieve CIF-San Diego Section qualifying times and consideration times. Among them was Brawley Union High’s Larissa Aviña.
Aviña earned two individual consideration times and two relay qualifying times and a total of four first-place finishes at the meet.
The 15-year-old won the 50 free in 26.46, the 100 free in 59.56 and was part of the winning 200-medley and 200-free relays.
Both relay teams broke IVL finals meet records with the medley team completing the event in 2:00.41, breaking the previous record of 2:01.14 set in 2011. The 200-free relay team then finished its event in 1:46.68, breaking the 1:47.06 set in 2012.
Aviña swam the medley relay with Abbie Castro, Logan Nemlowill and Jessica Acosta and the 200-free relay with Castro, Nemlowill and Paige Smelser.
The Wildcat sophomore said she felt accomplished after the meet and was excited to share the record-breaking honors along her teammates.
“I was really nervous and excited at the same time,” Aviña said of her feelings before the meet. “We all wanted to break (the 200 medley) record.”
Aviña said she was also proud of her individual wins that earned the sophomore her first individual All-IVL patches.
“I felt really good with my finishes because last year I wasn’t able to take first,” Aviña said. My favorites:
Athlete — Jessica Acosta, BUHS teammate
Team – Brawley Wildcats Class – Art
Movie – Matilda
Actress – Blake Lively
Song – “Humble” What do you enjoy most about your sport?
I like that when I’m stressed out it helps me relax and I also get to work out at the same time. What is one of your more memorable moments in your sport? Last year, my relay team had this ritual, and we’d pat our arms before our race. Who inspires you and why? My IVDA coach, Nikie Lopez inspires me. She pushes me to do my best and is always checking up on me. What are your goals for the rest of this season?
To place somewhere in the CIF finals.