2022 Inland Empire Swimming Junior Championships

This last weekend, the Manta Ray Aquatics Swim Team hosted the Inland Empire Jr. Champs Meet, which brought 13 teams from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho together to compete.  This event is comprised of 14 & under swimmers and is a last chance qualifying meet for the next level of competition for Inland Empire Swimming, the Junior Olympics meet in Moscow, ID.  The Manta Rays had 21 athletes swim at the meet, many of whom had best times and placed in the top 8.  Eduard Cristoloveanu took 1st place in his 200 freestyle.  His brother, Luca, won his 100 backstroke race while taking 2nd place in his 200 freestyle.  Lennox Leeder finished 3rd in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, and also swam his way to a 2nd place finish in the 50 breaststroke.  Adylinn Leslie, a newcomer to the sport, finished 3rd in her 50 freestyle and 2nd in her 100 freestyle, achieving Jr. Olympics qualifying times in both. Matthew Molitor placed 5th in his 500 freestyle, 3rd in the 200 freestyle, and 4th in his 100 freestyle.  Sam Molitor finished in 2nd place in his 400 I.M., 3rd in his 50 freestyle, and 2nd in his 200 backstroke.  His brother, Silas, took 1st place in his 50 backstroke and 4th in his 100 breaststroke.  Dylan Moore reached the top of the podium in the 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 breaststroke, while also taking 2nd in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle.  Rori Preston finished in 7th place in her 100 breaststroke.  Marcus Quezada raced to a 1st place finish in the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.  Kendall Vance finished in 7th place in her 100 freestyle and took home 8th place in the 100 butterfly.  Next weekend, the swim team heads to Moscow, ID to compete in the Inland Empire Jr. Olympics meet, followed by the Tony St. Onge Memorial Meet at the end of the month, held here in Moses Lake.