NEWS FROM THE DECK

We hope everyone is back into the swim of things after our Spring Break. We are coming off an incredibly successful winter short course season and are looking forward to more great things this summer. Our TAGS team, led by Karolina Valko, put the Mustangs back in the top ten at that meet for the first time in a few years. Our Sectionals team placed 11th overall and our swimmers won countless rubber duckies as a result of best times at the Mallard Madness meet. Recaps of those meet are below.

The month of April will be an excited one for the Mustangs. On April 21, our team will be inducted into the Texas Swimming Hall of Fame, which is an incredible honor and a tip of the cap to all of the amazing people who have been involved with our program over the decades. Then on April 30, we will have our annual team banquet and recognize all our swimmers for their accomplishments over the past year.

Most of the time it is difficult to pick a Mustang swimmer of the meet because we usually have plenty who step up to the challenge. At this past short course TAGS (Texas Age Group Swimming Championships), which took place in early March, the decision was easy….Karolina Valko. Karolina won all seven of her individual events and helped her teammates (Simone Edwards, Christine Salmassian and Jordan Arbuckle) win two of the 11-12 girls relays. That feat is rarely accomplished at a swim meet, let alone a state championship. Congratulations Karolina and to all the Mustangs who competed at TAGS!

Below is our TAGS team and their scoring events:

Sienna Acuff – 800 free relay, 100 back, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 200 back, 400 medley relay.

Jordan Arbuckle – 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 50 breast, 400 medley relay.

Grier Beeson – 800 free relay, 200 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 200 back, 400 medley relay.

Bella Dewhurst – 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 medley relay.

Simone Edwards – 200 free, 100 IM, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, 200 IM, 50 free, 200 free relay, 100 free, 400 medley relay.

Natalie Estrada – 800 free relay.

Catherine Salmassian – 500 free, 200 free, 50 back, 200 IM, 100 back.

Christine Salmassian – 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 200 back, 400 medley relay.

Karolina Valko – 200 fly, 100 IM, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay, 100 free, 50 fly, 400 medley relay.

Henry Westcott – 50 back.

Lydia Westcott – 800 free relay, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 medley relay.

Ella Whitney

Our Sectionals team traveled to Texas A&M in College Station to compete with over 80 teams at this year’s USA Sectionals Championships. Most of our swimmers were coming off successful high school championships and did a good job of refocusing for this meet. The Mustangs finished eleventh over all and our top performer was Amie Perna, who finished second in the 100 back and scoring 39 points in her individual events.

The following is a list of the Mustangs who qualified for the meet and their scoring swims:

Josie Arbuckle – 200 medley relay, 100 free, 200 free relay, 800 free relay, 100 back, 200 IM, 400 medley relay.

Camlyn Belle

Marin Clem – 200 medley relay, 100 free, 200 free relay, 800 free relay, 50 free, 400 medley relay.

Grant Closson – 200 medley relay, 100 free, 200 free relay, 800 free relay, 50 free.

Chloe Fisher

Tom Gambow

Zach Geller

Daniele Greenwood – 100 back.

Jack Hernandez – 200 medley relay, 400 free realy, 200 free relay, 800 free relay.

Emma Hrasko – 200 free relay

Angelina Huang

Phoebe Johnson – 800 free relay.

Nathan Kim

Sean Li – 200 medley relay, 400 free relay, 200 free relay, 100 breast.

Miller Martin

Max McAllister

Lucs Mijares

Leo Pelaez – 1000 free, 800 free relay.

Amie Perna – 200 medley relay, 200 back, 200 free relay, 800 free relay, 100 back, 50 free, 400 medley relay.

Catherine Ripple

Nico Sobenes – 200 medley relay, 400 free relay, 100 fly, 800 free relay.

John Stoklas

Leila Tarighi

Jonathan Ting

Hanna Whitney – 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay.

Ruihan Zhu

This Unclassified meet that did require at least each person had a time in the event was held at the Rockwall ISD Natatorium. We had 114 sign-up for the meet and had a boatload of best times. Below is a list of those who had both best times and finished in the top 8 of their age group:

Jordan Arbuckle (Girls 11-12 100 breast- 1st), Emma Barron (Girls 13-14 50 back – 7th), Grier Beeson (Girls 13-14 500 free – 1st), Valentia Calderon (Girls 10 & U 50 free – 4th, 50 fly – 7th, 200 free – 4th, 100 free – 4th), Laura Celeste (Girls 11-12 50 free – 6th, 50 fly – 5th, 100 IM – 3rd, 500 free – 2nd, 200 back – 3rd, 100 breast – 3rd, 100 fly – 4th, 200 IM – 4th), Nathan Chan (Boys 13-14 50 free – 1st, 100 back – 1st, 100 free – 3rd, 100 fly – 1st), Shruthi Cherukuri (Girls 500 free – 6th, 13-14 200 back – 3rd, 200 free – 5th), Gabe Cordero (Boys 11-12 50 fly – 4th, 100 IM – 6th, 200 free – 4th), Nirav Deo (Boys 15-16 200 breast – 7th, 50 breast – 6th, 100 breast – 8th, 100 fly – 8th), Bella Dewhirst (Girls 13-14 50 free – 2nd, 100 IM – 1st, 100 breast – 1st, 100 free – 5th, 200 IM – 2nd), Nathanial Durant (Boys 11 & Over 100 fly – 8th), Drew Durgin (Boys 15-16 50 back – 3rd, 100 IM – 7th), Blake Durham (Girls 13-14 50 breast – 8th), Natalie Estrada (Girls 13-14 200 free – 1st, 100 free – 4th), Harmony Fisher (Girls 11-12 50 breast – 4th, 100 breast – 8th, Kaelyn Gardner (Girls 13-14 100 back – 6th), Lizzie Gilliam (Girls 15-16 200 free – 3rd, 100 breast – 1st, 100 free – 3rd, 200 IM – 2nd), Carolina Girard (Girls 13-14 50 fly – 8th, 500 free – 3rd, 100 back – 8th, 100 free – 6th), Jonny Girard (Boys 11-12 50 back – 4th, 100 IM – 3rd), Jaxon Hanson (Boys 10 & U 50 back – 5th, 50 free – 7th, 100 IM – 7th), Holt Harmon (Boys 13-14 100 back – 2nd, 100 free – 8th), Carlos Hernandez (Boys 10 & U 50 breast – 5th, 50 free – 5th, 50 fly – 6th, 100 IM – 8th, 100 breast – 3rd, 100 free – 4th, 200 IM – 4th), Emilie Illum (Girls 13-14 50 free – 6th, 100 IM – 3rd, 100 breast – 6th, 100 free – 7th, 100 fly – 4th), Judah Isaacs-Sodeye (Boys 13-14 50 breast – 1st, 50 free – 3rd, 100 free – 1st), Riley Jones (Girls 11-12 50 back – 6th), Levi Krueger (Boys 11 & Over 50 back – 8th), Kin Lau (Boys 11 & Over 200 back – 3rd, 200 free – 8th), Emiliano Mayo (Boys 11-12 50 fly – 7th, 100 IM – 7th), Dylan Nguyen (Boys 13-14 100 breast – 6th), Naomi Nguyen (Girls 13-14 100 IM – 7th, 200 free – 8th), Abby Riemer (Girls 13-14 200 breast – 2nd, 50 breast – 1st, 50 free – 7th, 100 back – 7th, 200 free – 3rd, 100 breast 3rd, 100 free – 8th), Hunter Riemer (Boys 11-12 200 breast – 2nd, 50 breast – 6th, 200 fly – 1st, 100 IM – 6th, 200 back – 3rd, 200 free – 7th, 100 breast – 4th, 200 IM – 6th), Catherine Salmassian (Girls 10 & U 50 free – 1st, 100 IM – 1st, 100 free – 1st), Christine Salmassian (Girls 11-12 50 back – 2nd, 500 free – 1st, 100 back – 1st, 100 free – 1st), Drew Shippey (Boys 13=14 200 free – 2nd, 100 fly – 2nd), Peyton Shreve (Girls 11 & Over 200 breast – 2nd, 100 IM – 6th, 200 free – 2nd, 100 free – 8th, 200 IM – 2nd), Mackay Slade (Girls 11 & Over 200 breast – 5th), Molly Springborn (Girls 11 & Over 200 back – 7th), Liz Steger (Girls 11 & Over 100 breast – 2nd, 100 free – 4th, 200 IM – 3rd), Ash Sulakhe (Girls 11 & Over 100 breast – 3rd, 100 fly – 4th), Michal Valko (Boys 10 & U 50 back – 2nd, 50 free 4th, 50 fly – 2nd, 100 IM – 3rd, 100 back – 1st, 200 free – 5th, 100 free – 6th, 200 IM – 3rd), Richard Wang (Boys 13-14 200 free – 7th, 100 free – 7th), Vivianne Wang (Girls 10 & U 50 breast – 8th), Henry Westcott (Boys 11-12 50 free – 3rd, 50 fly – 4th, 100 IM – 3rd, 100 back – 1st, 200 free – 1st, 100 fly – 1st), Lydia Westcott (Girls 13-14 50 free – 1st, 100 free – 2nd), Mabel Westcott (Girls 10 & U 50 back – 1st, 100 free – 8th), Ella Whitney (Girls 13-14 200 fly – 1st, 500 free – 2nd, 200 back – 1st, 100 breast – 2nd), Sophia Whitney (Girls 11-12 50 back – 5th, 50 free – 8th, 50 fly – 7th, 100 IM – 5th, 100 back – 3rd, 100 breast – 4th, 200 IM – 7th), Jason Wishin (Boys 10 & U 50 breast – 5th, 50 free – 2nd, 50 fly – 1st, 100 IM – 2nd, 100 free – 2nd).

You have two days left to reserve your tickets for the Dallas Mustangs Annual Banquet!

Special Guest Speaker will be 1980 Olympic Team Member and former SMU swimmer Steve Barnicoat!

Swimmers, parents, family members are all invited to attend! Tickets are $50 per person and will be billed through your Dallas Mustangs Account.

Deadline for ticket purchase is April 12, 2023.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!