Manta Rays strong at 'A' championships
Courtesy photoFrom left, Krista Hutsell, Anna Fair, Gabriella Hall and Cameron Hansen teamed up for the Moses Lake Manta Rays at last weekend's Inland Empire swim meet, taking first place in the 100-yard freestyle relay for the girls' 8-and-under division.
ELLENSBURG - Several swimmers turned in strong performances last weekend, helping the Moses Lake Manta Rays swim team at the Inland Empire "A" Championships at Central Washington University.
In the 8-and-under girls' division, the 100-yard freestyle relay foursome of Krista Hutsell, Anna Fair, Gabriella Hall and Cameron Hansen swam to a first-place finish. Hall and Fair each received "A" qualifying times in their individual races, with Hall doing so in the 25-yard backstroke and 25-yard butterfly, while Fair accomplished the feat in the 25-yard backstroke.
Fair also turned in three placing times, finishing seventh in the 50-yard butterfly, fifth in the 25-yard butterfly and sixth in the 50-yard breaststroke.
Brenden Eslick continued to rewrite the Manta Rays' record book with an outstanding race in the 500-yard freestyle. The 11-year-old broke Rob Fallon's mark in the event by five seconds, a record that had stood since 1985.
Eslick reached the finals of three other events. He placed seventh in the 100-yard butterfly, sixth in the 200-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100-yard freestyle.
Jalen Garza swam her way to three finals appearances, placing fourth in the 50 backstroke, fifth in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 100 backstroke. Garza was also part of the 9-10 girls' 200-yard medley relay squad that placed third, joining Kirsten Hutsell, Addison Fair and Nicole Eslick.
The Manta Rays' "A" qualifying times were turned in by Brenden Eslick, Anna Fair, Gabriella Hall, Cameron Hansen, Addison Fair, Nicole Eslick, Jalen Garza, Rachel Horning, Kirsten Hutsell, Krista Hutsell and Elaura Grant.