Katy Houston, Boulder City Men Set New State Records at Nevada High School Championships

By Joh Jeffrey

RENO,May 21. KATY Houston, a sophomore at McQueen High School who has been experiencing a breakout year in USA Swimming, rode her recent wave of success to two new state records: first, lowering Julie Hardt's 1999 standard of 2:03.61 in the 200 IM to 2:03.40, and also shattering her own state record in the 100 breaststroke. Houston's time of 1:03.50 was nearly a second faster than the 1:04.38 standard she had set last year as a freshman.

Though Houston was the only swimmer to break individual records, there were many outstanding performances. On the women's side, Carson senior Tara Theilemann and Reno sophomore Skylar Craig both notched doubles.

Theilemann won the 200 freestyle (1:52.83) over Vegas senior Nicole Weatherman (1:54.98), and then took the 100 freestyle over Lauren Browning 52.74 to 53.11. Browning took a win in the 50 freestyle (24.43) narrowly over Bishop Gorman's Angelina Colavito (24.48). Weatherman however, would unfortunately remain second again as Carson senior Lauren Costella, primarily known as a 1650 freestyler during USS season, won her 'sprint', the 500 freestyle over Weatherman, 4:56.03 to 5:07.23.

Craig won the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.33 over Chapparal sophomore Dana Benedict (57.97), and then took the 100 backstroke in a closer race, winning in 58.46 over Boulder City sophomore Blakely Bunch (58.64). Craig was also an instrumental part of Reno's relays, teaming with Jessica Buchanan, Christina Venturacci, and Rosie Smith to take the 200 medley relay title handily over Boulder City, 1:51.73 to 1:53.28. Craig also swam on the winning 200 freestyle relay with Smith, Lily Weiss and Alex Johnson (1:40.92), which won by nearly three full seconds over nearest pursuer Galena High (1:43.88).

To wrap up the meet and clinch the girl's state title, Reno got the hat-trick in winning the 400 free relay (3:41.30). Venturacci, Johnson, and Smith joined with Stephanie Braun to win in their closest finish yet, just beating the team from Boulder City, (3:41.64).

In men's meet action, the team from Boulder City was absolutely dominant, winning all relays and every individual event except the 100 breaststroke, in addition to setting two new state records.

Juniors Doug Broadbent and John Foster both took two wins each. Foster's came in the 200 and 500 freestyles, where he decimated the competition handily, first winning the 200 freestyle in 1:40.42, more than three seconds ahead of second place junior Ryan Evans of Bishop Manogue (1:43.55), and then winning by more than seven seconds to take the 500 freestyle over Mead sophomore Jace Hopper, 4:34.12 to 4:41.78.

Foster was also key in Boulder's wins in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays which set new state records. Foster, Bret Lungaard, J.P. Morgan, and Travis Tyler teamed up to make waste of the competition, and the state record in the 200 free relay, touching in 1:26.40 to obliterate the former mark of 1:27.98 set by Green Valley in 1996. Their record breaking ways would continue as Lundgaard, Tyler, Foster, and Doug Broadbent cracked their own state record in the 400 free relay, touching at 3:09.47, breaking the 3:10.12 mark set at last year's state meet. Second place Bishop Gorman was more than sixteen seconds behind the pace, touching at 3:26.30.

Broadbent took a win in the 100 butterfly (51.02) with Reno junior Peter Lorring just a fingernail behind (51.06), and also took the 100 backstroke in 52.24 to fellow Boulder junior Aaron Bleck's 52.80.

In addition to the 400 freestyle relay, Broadbent also swam on the winning 200 medley relay, teaming with Bleck, Tyler, Morgan, and Lyle Miyashiro to touch first in 1:38.96, just .16 off the state record set by Silverado in 2001. Second place went to Bishop Manogue at 1:42.35.

Other winners were junior Bret Lungaard, who took the 200 IM in 1:54.18 to Carson senior Justin Barber's 1:55.60, and sophomore J.P Morgan, who took the 50 free (21.87) over senior Travis Tyler (22.11). Tyler would get a win of his own as he traded places with Morgan in the 100 freestyle, winning in 48.15 to Morgans 48.21.

Bishop Manogue were able to break the Boulder City stranglehold, taking first and second place in the 100 breaststroke. Junior Ryan Evans took the win in 1:01.21 over fellow Manogue teammate senior Michael O'Mara (1:01.54)

The Boulder City juggernaut could not be stopped as the men once again repeated as state champions.

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