Cavemen Swimmers 3rd, Cavegirls 4th at Hobbs

By Don Eskins

Carlsbad High’s Holiday Invitational, hosted by the Cavemen and Cavegirl swimmers, will get underway on Saturday, December 13. But it won’t be taking place in the Cavern City.

“Due to ongoing issues with our pool, the meet has officially been moved to Artesia. We’re so grateful to them for stepping in and allowing us the opportunity to host the meet without interruption,” said CHS head swim coach Samantha Segura.

“Even though it won’t be in our home water, our swimmers are ready to show up, race hard, and represent our team, school, and community with pride. I’m so grateful to everyone for being so flexible and understanding during all of the crazy changes,” she said.

“We’ve been getting ready for this meet for some time. It was going to be our only home meet of the season,” said Segura. “But, even with the unexpected curveballs we’ve gotten, we’re all excited about hosting the meet in Artesia. Seven teams will be competing for this season’s Holiday Invitational title, so it’s going to be a great one.”

The Cavemen and Cavegirls will head into Saturday’s Holiday Invitational with a head of steam, following their performances at the Bob Reed Invitational in Hobbs on Saturday, December 6.

In a field of 13, the Cavemen placed third and the Cavegirls fourth.

“Overall, the kids had a truly fantastic meet. They showed up focused, swam with heart, and put together some impressive races from start to finish,” said Segura. “We had several high-point scorers who really stood out, but every swimmer contributed something important. I couldn’t be more proud of the way they performed.”

Outstanding Performances:

Olivia Jang qualified for state in her 100 fly with a time of 1:04.43, and Benjamin Jang qualified in both the 200 IM, with a time of 2:12.29, and the 100 free, with a time of 51.95.

The girls’ 200 medley relay team (Taitum Lindsey, Julia Comer, Olivia Jang, and Sofia Escorial) placed third overall, with a time of 2:13.47. The boys’ 200 medley relay team (Samuel Vega, Benjamin Jang, Constantine Gonzales, and Kason Longbine) also placed third, with a time of 1:52.25.

The girls’ 200 Free relay team (Taitum Lindsey, Tiny Martinez, Kimberly Quintana, and Olivia Jang) placed third overall, with a time of 1:58.99. The boys’ 200 free relay team (Samuel Vega, Benjamin Jang, Constantine Gonzales, and Kason Longbine) placed third overall, with a time of 1:42.60.

High-point earners:

Benjamin Jang earned 37 points overall by placing second in his 200 IM and first in his 100 Free; Olivia Jang earned 36 points overall by placing first in her 100 Fly and third overall in her 200 Breaststroke; Samuel Vega placed fifth in his 100 Fly and third in his 100 back, earning 30 points for the team; Constantine Gonzales earned 26 points by placing eighth in his 50 free and fourth in his 100 free.

Tiny Martinez earned 26 points by placing fifth in her 100 free and seventh in her 100 breaststroke; Kason Longbine earned 25 points by placing eighth in his 100 fly and fifth in his 100 free; Sofia Escorial earned 22 points by placing eighth in her 50 free and eighth in her 100 free; Julia Comer earned 20 points by placing sixth in her 500 free and 10th in her 100 breaststroke.

Bennett Mitchell earned 19 points by placing 11th in his 50 free and sixth in his 100 breaststroke; Taitum Lindsey earned 18 points by placing ninth in her 50 free and ninth in her 100 backstroke; Mason Shott earned 15 points by placing 11th in his 100 free and ninth in his 100 backstroke.