Bison swimmers-divers start season strong

Check out McCook senior Carmen Cubria-Sanchez (above) moving along to a 500-freestyle title by more than 50 seconds over her closes competition at the Bison home swimming invitational on Friday.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook High’s splashed and dashed to high places in virtually event of their season-opening swim inviational at McCook Family YMCA on Friday.

The Bison scored 82 points to nearly catch Scottsbluff (91) for third place while larger teams from Hastings (162) and North Platte (122) took those top two places.

However, no Bulldog or Tiger or Seacat could stop McCook’s quest to win individual titles.

Senior exchange student Carmen Cubria-Sanchez has great international experience, and 500-meter freestyle with a time of 5:40.02. She finished far ahead North Platte’s Hunter Rathjen (6:32.41) who claimed second place.

McCook’s terrific returning state qualifiers captured the other championship with a 200-freestyle relay victory.

Junior Candace Coleman joined seniors Mollie Tate, Becca Tietz and Laurel Schmidt in winning the 200-freestyle relay with a time of 1:47.7.

McCook edged North Platte (1:48.5) in a close race. Hastings was about 17 seconds behind while taking third place.

The complete rundown of McCook girls’ top six placers with boys appearing later this week:

50-freestyle: 1. Morgan Baker, HAST, 24.88; 3. Laurel Schmidt, MC, 26.3; 6. Candace Coleman, MC, 27.13.

100-freestyle: 1. M. Baker, HAST, 54.93; 5. Coleman, MC, 1:00.

100-fly: 1. Samantha Galindo, Scottsbluff, 1:06.46; 2. Carmen Cubria-Sanchez, MC, 1:07.15; 4. Elizabeth Barenberg, MC, 1:17.87; 5. Alexis Tucker, MC, 1:19.31.

100-backstroke: 1. Molly Fitzpatrick, NP, 1:14.04; 5. Becca Tietz, MC, 1:16.39.

100-breaststroke: 1. Alanna Becker, Scottbluff, 1:15.55; 2. Mollie Tate, MC, 1:15.64; 3. Barenberg, MC, 1:20.95; 6. Karagan Shaw, MC, 1:29.29.

200-freestyle: 1. Diana Brailita, HASt, 2:12.31; 5. Tucker, MC, 2:27.28.

200-IM: 1. Becker, 2:27.2; 4. Kailynn Rodewald, MC, 2:51.08.

500-free: 1. Carmen Cubria-Sanchez, MC, 5:40.02; 3. Rodewald, 6:45.16.

200-free relay: 1. McCook 1:47.7 (Candace Coleman-Mollie Tate-Becca Tietz-Laurel Schmidt).

200-medley relay: 1. Scottsbluff 2:00.83; 3. McCook 2:01.71 (names not available for some reason); 5. McCook 2:21.13 (Izabella Schmidt-Shaw-Tucker-Rodewald).

400-freestyle relay: 1. Hastings 3:59.64; 2. McCook 4:00.97 (again, names not listed); 4. McCook 4:38.98 (Rodewald-Shaw-Barenberg-Tucker).

Again, more results with Bison boys will appear this week.