BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING: Perea wins all his races to help Pecos win team title

ANDREWS Damian Perea wasn’t supposed to win at the Region I-4A Swimming & Diving Championships, at least not according to the times he posted two weeks earlier.

Perea’s performance at the District 4-4A meet had him seeded second in the boys 100-yard butterfly, and third in the 50 freestyle, heading into this weekend’s regional competition at the Mustang Natatorium. But the Pecos High School junior wasn’t planning to be in those positions by the time the meet was over.

“I wasn’t going to let that happen,” he said.

PHOTO GALLERY: Region I-4A Swimming & Diving Championships

Indeed, Perea saved his best for the two most important days of his season. He posted the fastest time in each event during Friday’s preliminaries and then swam to his first two individual regional titles on Saturday, qualifying for the UIL Swimming & Diving State Championships on Feb. 24-25 in Austin.

Perea, who recorded personal-best times in each event, also was a member of two Pecos relay teams that set regional and schools records. He earned the distinction of Region I-4A boys swimmer of the year.

“Amazing,” he said. “One of the best feelings I’ve felt.”

Perea’s perfect day in the pool led Pecos to yet another regional team championship. The Eagles finished 61 points ahead of El Paso High to win the meet for the sixth year in a row and for the 12th time in 13 years.

It might be their last title for a while, though, because the historically strong program at Lubbock High will be competing in the Region I-4A meet for at least the next two years. Lubbock High is dropping from Class 5A to 4A next year along with Amarillo High and Lubbock Monterey.

“It doesn’t mean we won’t win again,” Pecos coach Terri Morse said. “It’ll just be a lot tougher, so I wanted to win this one.”

For at least a year, the names of five Pecos swimmers will be etched into the Region I-4A record book. Perea, Nathan McCormick, Anthony Natividad and Bradley Shaw began the meet by posting a regional- and school-record time of 1 minute, 41.71 seconds in the 200 medley relay, and Perea, McCormick, Shaw and Clay Teague later set regional, school and pool records while winning the 200 freestyle relay in 1:31.50.

The medley relay record was especially sweet to Natividad, who is the first Pecos athlete to qualify for the state meet in swimming and diving in the same year, according to Pecos diving coach Joan Capshaw. Natividad earned his state berth in diving on Friday, when he finished second to teammate Gregory Roman.

Natividad said he once idolized the medley relay that held the regional record before Saturday. That was the 2007 Pecos team of Josh Elliott, Matt Flores, Will Oglesby and Kyle Winkles.

“I remember in swimming lessons looking up to those guys and thinking, ‘I want to be faster than them,’ ” Natividad said. “And then breaking their record, it feels pretty amazing.”

Pecos also got a push from Shaw, who had a frustrating day individually but was critical to the team’s performance. Shaw finished second in both of his individual events — he was seeded first and had the fastest preliminary time in the 100 backstroke — to narrowly miss state berths in each event.

But he played a large part in the record-setting relays, and he still earned a trip to Austin.

“He’s disappointed, but he shouldn’t be upset with himself,” Morse said. “He swam well and he pulled out some relays for his team. I’m proud of him.”

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>> Region I-4A Swimming & Diving Championships

Saturday, Mustang Natatorium, Andrews

Swimming Finals

All events in yards

(Event winners advance to UIL state meet)

BOYS

Team standings

1. Pecos, 366; 2. El Paso High, 305; 3. El Paso Chapin, 260; 4. Monahans, 203; 5. El Paso Burges, 144; 6. Andrews, 129; 7. El Paso Del Valle, 123; 8. El Paso Riverside, 121; 9. Pampa, 112; 10. El Paso Parkland, 107; 11. El Paso Jefferson, 99; 12. Seminole, 50; 13. Fort Stockton, 40.5; 14. El Paso Eastlake, 39; 15. El Paso Austin, 32; 16. El Paso Andress, 21; 17. El Paso Ysleta, 18; 18. El Paso Irvin, 17.5; 19. Big Spring, 16.

Individual Events

200 medley relay

1. Pecos (Bradley Shaw, Anthony Natividad, Damian Perea, Nathan McCormick), 1:41.71 (meet record); 2. El Paso Chapin, 1:48.45; 3. El Paso Burges, 1:50.59; 4. El Paso Parkland, 1:54.73; 5. El Paso Del Valle, 1:55.21; 6. Andrews, 1:56.02; 7. El Paso High, 1:56.45; 8. Pampa, 1:57.07.

200 freestyle

1. Daniel Gonzalez-Aranda, Chapin, 1:51.23; 2. Sam Claflin, El Paso High, 1:51.90; 3. Nathan McCormick, Pecos, 1:52.65; 4. Jose Avila, El Paso Jefferson, 1:56.39; 5. Mason Overstreet, El Paso High, 1:58.99; 6. Andy Orozco, El Paso Riverside, 2:02.96; 7. Anthony Gray, Burges, 2:04.19; 8. Jordan Herrera, Monahans, 2:06.21.

200 individual medley

1. Chris Martinez, Parkland, 2:02.29; 2. Bradley Shaw, Pecos, 2:03.83; 3. Michael Licon, El Paso High, 2:06.10; 4. Samuel McKeever, Monahans, 2:16.11; 5. Josue Sanchez, Jefferson, 2:17.50; 6. Alex Quezada, El Paso Eastlake, 2:18.89; 7. Taylor Akins, Monahans, 2:18.95; 8. Lane Richards, Andrews, 2:25.19.

50 freestyle

1. Damian Perea, Pecos, 22.42; 2. Ramon Ontiveros, Riverside, 22.60; 3. Jameson Dillon, Chapin, 23.14; 4. Spencer Estes, Pampa, 23.21; 5. Alex Hendricks, El Paso Andress, 23.88; 6. Clay Teague, Pecos, 24.43; 7. Will Grant, Monahans, 24.56; 8. Joey Esparza, Del Dalle, 25.34.

100 butterfly

1. Damian Perea, Pecos, 54.76; 2. Victor Baca, El Paso High, 56.38; 3. Jameson Dillon, Chapin, 58.23; 4. Jose Avila, Jefferson, 59.75; 5. Daniel Seyffert, Chapin, 1:00.84; 6. Sergio Guillen, Del Valle, 1:03.80; 7. Alex Quezada, Eastlake, 1:04.06; 8. Daniel Villa, Monahans, 1:06.35.

100 freestyle

1. Ramon Ontiveros, Riverside, 49.92; 2. Grant Wilkinson, Chapin, 50.28; 3. Nathan McCormick, Pecos, 50.48; 4. Miles Mendivil, Burges, 52.05; 5. Mason Overstreet, El Paso High, 53.90; 6. Samuel McKeever, Monahans, 54.14; 7. Andrew Reyes, Burges, 55.34; 8. Jordan Herrera, Monahans, 56.29.

500 freestyle

1. Sam Claflin, El Paso High, 5:03.23; 2. Sebastian Machado, El Paso High, 5:25.07; 3. Daniel Seyffert, Chapin, 5:32.15; 4. Gregory Roman, Pecos, 5:34.58; 5. Derek Reveles, Del Valle, 5:36.75; 6. Ethan Sellers, Monahans, 5:37.85; 7. Isaiah Perez, Burges, 5:41.01; 8. Patrick Hooper, Andrews, 5:53.01.

200 freestyle relay

1. Pecos (Damian Perea, Clay Teague, Bradley Shaw, Nathan McCormick), 1:31.50 (meet and pool record); 2. Chapin, 1:33.90; 3. El Paso High, 1:34.82; 4. Monahans, 1:37.10; 5. Burges, 1:37.97; 6. Riverside, 1:40.33; 7. Andrews, 1:44.34; 8. Pampa, 1:45.23.

100 backstroke

1. Daniel Gonzalez-Aranda, Chapin, 56.07; 2. Bradley Shaw, Pecos, 56.39; 3. Miles Mendivil, Burges, 59.00; 4. Victor Baca, El Paso High, 1:00.84; 5. Lane Richards, Andrews, 1:01.17; 6. Spencer Estes, Pampa, 1:03.65; 7. Cruz Rodriguez, Riverside, 1:04.51; 8. Garrett Mowles, El Paso High, 1:05.03.

100 breaststroke

1. Chris Martinez, Parkland, 1:02.90; 2. Grant Wilkinson, Chapin, 1:03.99; 3. Michael Licon, El Paso High, 1:06.36; 4. Anthony Natividad, Pecos, 1:07.00; 5. Enzo Modesto-Abbud, El Paso High, 1:09.00; 6. Sebastian Machado, El Paso High, 1:10.16; 7. Richard Sanchez, Pecos, 1:11.51; 8. Andy Orozco, Riverside, 1:11.86.

400 freestyle relay

1. Chapin (Grant Wilkinson, Daniel Seyffert, Daniel Gonzalez-Aranda, Jameson Dillon), 3:25.30; 2. El Paso High, 3:27.01; 3. Monahans, 3:36.95; 4. Pecos, 3:41.56; 5. Jefferson, 3:45.17; 6. Riverside, 3:47.38; 7. Parkland, 3:50.94.

Swimmer of the Year: Damian Perea, Pecos

Diving of the Year: Gregory Roman, Pecos

Swimming Coach of the Year: Terri Morse, Pecos

Diving Coach of the Year: Joan Capshaw, Pecos