Prep teams competing at state swim meet

Central Catholic, Berwick and Morgan City high school swim teams will be in action at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s Allstate Sugar Bowl Swimming state meet, which begins today at SPAR Aquatic Center in Sulphur.
Central Catholic, which competes in Division IV, as well as Berwick and Morgan City, both Division III members, begin action today. Action in both classes continues Thursday.
Morgan City leads the area qualifiers with the most individual entries with three swimmers competing in a combined four individual events.
Junior Ethan Aucoin will compete in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley. Aucoin is seeded No. 29 in the backstroke at 1:14.08 and No. 37 in the individual medley at 2:42.92.
Teammate, junior Carter Arcemont, also will be swimming in the 200-yard individual medley as he is seeded No. 36 at 2:42.20.
Morgan City High School freshman Jean Pat Dupuy is seeded highest among individual swimmers from Morgan City at No. 14 in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.46.
The Morgan City boys also will swim in the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. Morgan City is seeded No. 13 in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:07.94 and No. 11 in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:53.04.
Hunter Gaspard, Arcemont, Aucoin and Dupuy comprise the relays.
In girls’ action, Morgan City will compete in the 200-yard medley relay, the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Morgan City is seeded No. 17 in the 200-yard medley relay at 2:43.49, No. 19 in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 2:23.73; and No. 14 in the 400-yard freestyle relay at 6:32.64.
Morgan City’s girls’ relays consist of Valeria Nolazco, Maecee Wiggins, Mallory Fontenot, Mattie Fontenot and Callie Breaux.
Morgan City High School swim coach Becky Bergeron said her state competitors are a young group.
“I have only one senior swimming in the meet tomorrow,” she said Wednesday.
Bergeron said her strategy for her team is to concentrate on advancing to Thursday’s finals, noting the top eight finishers are considered “top finalists,” while those who place 9-16 are considered “consolation finalists.”
While Dupuy is Morgan City’s lone top 16 seed, Bergeron said, “some of our boys and girls relays are seeded well for (the) finals on Thursday.”
Central Catholic had two individual qualifiers for state in eighth-grader David Nugent and junior William Hunter, both in the 50-yard freestyle. Nugent is seeded No. 37 at 29.76, while Hunter is seeded right behind at No. 38 at 30.06.
“They’re kind of in the middle of the pack, so I don’t expect them to qualify for the finals, but I think that it’s going to be a great experience because they’ve never been to state,” Central Catholic swim coach Colleen Hunter said.
Coach Hunter said that Nugent has improved each time he has swum.
The Eagles also will swim in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Central Catholic is seeded No. 14 in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 2:27.41 and No. 11 in the 400-yard freestyle relay at 5:54.72.
In addition to Nugent and Hunter, freshmen Jack Autrey and Dave Laubach will swim in the relays.
In girls’ action, Central Catholic will be swimming in the 200-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The Lady Eagles are seeded No. 16 in the event with a time of 2:46.26, while Central Catholic is seeded No. 16 in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
The Lady Eagles’ relays will consist of Paige Thomas, Catherine Autrey, Caroline Nini and Emma Thomas.
“That’s a great experience for them because they’ve never been,” Hunter said.
Among the female swimmers is first-year participant Emma Thomas, who Hunter said is the girls’ team’s fastest swimmer and was close to qualifying in individual competition.
“She’s a great swimmer, and she’s never swam before,” Hunter said. “She swam when she was a child, but it would be great if she could compete next year. She’s a junior, but we hope she’s coming back next year because I think she’ll qualify as she gets a little more serious about it.”
At Berwick High, one individual qualifier will participate, while the boys’ and girls’ swim teams will be sending multiple relays.
Sophomore Mikey Martin will be swimming in the 200-yard individual medley.
In boys’ relay action, Berwick will compete in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the 200-yard medley relay.
The 400-yard freestyle relay, which will consist of Martin, Sam Wilburn, Grayson Wells and Nicholas Mayon, is seeded No. 11 at 4:24.15.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, which includes Wilburn, Wells, Logan Angeron and Mayon, they are seeded No. 12 at 1:55.03.
In the 200-yard medley relay, which includes Wells, Christopher Reggie, Angeron and Mayon, they are seeded No. 14 at 2:13.34.
In girls’ action, Berwick will compete in the 200-yard medley relay, the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Berwick’s 200-yard medley relay, which consists of Shanna Roussel, Josie Estay, Mary Morella and Abbie Koen, is ranked No. 16 at 2:30.13.
The Lady Panthers’ 400-yard freestyle relay, which consists of Roussel, Morgan Chaisson, Mary Catherine Reggie and Peytan Theriot, is seeded No. 11 at 5:07.91.
Berwick’s 200-yard freestyle relay, which includes Estay, Morella, Carley Hebert and Koen, is seeded No. 16 at 2:12.89.
Berwick swim coach B.J. Castaneda said this season was one of growing and learning for Berwick.
“We have the numbers but just not the strength/speed in the pool as in past years,” she said. “The state meet will be a good experience for this years’ swimmers. Some have gone before, but they’ve really had to work hard to get there this year. The experience through this years’ season did good for all the swimmers. I will be losing (six) seniors, but the numbers coming up are strong athletes, (and) I look forward to them doing well (and) taking it a step up next year.”