Chargers swimmer top 10 at state in multiple events; team places fourth
Apr 08, 2024 03:14PM ● By Catherine Garrett
Corner Canyon High senior Konnor Spencer placed fourth in the 100 breast and sixth in the 200 IM while also swimming a leg on two top-four relays at the 6A state championships Feb. 23-24 at Brigham Young University. (Photo courtesy Patrick Thurman)
Corner Canyon High senior Konnor Spencer was fourth in the 100 breaststroke and sixth in the 200 Individual Medley at the 6A state swimming championships Feb. 23-24 at Brigham Young University. He also swam legs on the third-place 200 medley relay whose lineup also included Sam Lloyd, Brayden Towns and James Lillian as well as the fourth-place 200 freestyle relay team of Spencer, Liam Merkeley, Tate Johnson and Towns. His high placements led the Chargers boys squad to a fourth-place finish.
The 200 medley relay team of Reagan Smith, Rosemary Akins, Halle Walker and Kathryn Armendariz was the top showing for the girls who came in 17th.
“The kids swam great this year,” said CCHS head coach Pat Thurman. “We relied on some incredibly talented boys to lead the team to a high finish.”
Also placing for the boys were Jacob Hamblin (sixth, 400 free relay; 12th, 500 free; 15th, 200 free), Lillian (sixth, 400 free relay; ninth, 200 IM, ninth, 100 backstroke), Johnson (sixth, 400 free relay), Lloyd (sixth, 400 free relay; 10th, 100 back; 13th, 50 free) and Towns (sixth, 100 fly; 10th, 50 free).
On the girls side, Halle Walker (11th, 100 back; 16th, 100 butterfly), Kate Broadbent (14th, 200 free relay), Alyssa Meadows (14th, 200 free relay), Nora Walker (14th, 200 free relay), Jane Weiler (14th, 200 free relay), Rosemary Akins (15th, 400 free), Layla Anderson (15th, 400 free relay), Brinlee Baxter (15th, 100 free; 15th, 400 free relay) and Helena Galbreath (15th, 400 free relay) also represented in the top 16.
“I was thrilled that we had so many boys and girls qualify for state. So many younger swimmers had their first experience at state and handled it well,” Thurman said. “I was also so happy for our seniors, who have put in so much work over the years, to finish with a bang.”
In the unified mixed races, Jordan Barlow won the boys 50 free while the girls 100 free relay also came in first. The girls 100 free relay finished second while Jadon Medina (third, 50 free) and Bryce Armendariz (sixth, 50 free) also placed at state for Corner Canyon.
Spencer also won the Region 2 title in the 100 breast at the region championships at Juan Diego Catholic High School Feb. 3 in helping the boys take a second-place finish. Other top placers were the 200 free relay lineup (first), the 200 medley relay team (second), Spencer (second, 200 IM), Lillian (third, 200 IM), Hamblin (third, 200 free; third, 500 free), Towns (third, 100 fly), Lloyd (third, 100 back) and the 400 free relay squad (third).
For the sixth-place girls at the Region 2 meet prior to the state championships, Walker was third in the 100 fly and third in the 100 back.
“We graduate some great kids but the future is bright for Charger swimming,” Thurman said. λ