Feb 05, 2012
Friendswood girls place eighth at state swim meet
March 1, 2010
AUSTIN — There were 50 Class 4A girls teams represented at the 2010 state swim meet held at the Lee and Joe Jamail Swim Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin. Last year, the Friendswood girls placed fifth in the state. With a less experienced squad this year - head coach John Little saw his girls battle to finish in eighth place.
After a successful run last year, none of its three relay teams or four individual competitors was able to medal.
“The state meet is so hard to predict,” Friendswood coach John Little said. “There are people who swim faster or slower, and it includes the best swimmers in the state. You kind of never know what’s going to happen.”
Dallas Highland Park captured their 10th straight state title with 232 points while Frisco, who finished second with 227 points, provided the greatest challenge in the past decade of unseating the defending champions. Magnolia was third with 164 points followed by Montgomery (146), Austin Johnson (131), Magnolia West (130), Humble Kingwood Park (119), Friendswood (109), Lamar Consolidated (100), and Rockwall Heath (94) to round out the top 10.
For the first time in several years - Friendswood returned home without a medal winner.
Senior Melissa Watson came the closest with a fourth place finish in the 100 breaststroke. Watson, who has been one of the hardest workers who has ever competed for the Lady Mustangs, came within 42 hundredths of a second of taking the third place bronze medal. Watson finished the prelims with the third fastest time, but was edged out in the finals by Amber Jenkins of Frisco (1:05.31) while Watson posted a time of 1:05.73.
Jacey Hodan of Rockwall Heath set a new state record of 1:03.89 in the prelims and then coasted to the gold medal in the finals in 1:04.04.
It appeared that Watson had a slight hesitation on her final turn that proved to be the difference in the final stretch. The hard-working senior leader was visibly stunned at the end of the race knowing that she came so close in her final year. Despite the disappointment, Watson, who was the district and regional champion, has proven that hard work pays off and she has been an outstanding role model for the rest of the young Friendswood swimmers.
Watson also finished eighth in the state in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:58.83.
"Melissa is one of those student-athletes who sets the right example for her fellow teammates," coach Little said. "She stays focused and her dedication and attention to technique is beyond reproach."
Rachel Cragin was the only other individual to make the finals, finishing eighth in the butterfly.
The Lady Mustangs did advance two relay teams to the finals.
Cragin, Watson, Kelsey Castro and Lauren Lundquist finished sixth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:52.68. The foursome actually recorded the fourth fastest time in the prelims.
McKinna Harclerode, Cragin, Watson and Meagan Westhoven placed seventh in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:43.83.
The 200-yard freestyle relay quartet of Cragin, Harclerode, Lundquist, and Hailey Lutz won the Consolation finals to finish ninth in the state with a time of 1:43.60.
Despite no medals, it was still a solid showing for a young Mustangs swimming team.
“We have a lot of new swimmers,” Little said. “So to get to here is pretty nice.”