What to watch for at the District 29-5A Swim Meet
The University Interscholastic League's addition of Class 4A has impacted all teams in the Corpus Christi area that sponsor the sport, including those that remain in Class 5A.
The Flour Bluff girls team has owned the district and Region VIII recently and that is not expected to change, but several of the strongest challengers on the boys side now reside in another classification.
Tuloso-Midway and Alice competed last week in the District 16-4A meet, and without that competition, Flour Bluff again becomes the prohibitive favorite to sweep the team titles at this week's District 29-5A meet in Victoria on Thursday and Friday.
"When you take out T-M and Alice, both of those teams had some pretty strong boys last year," Flour Bluff head coach Bryan Hutchinson said. "That definitely makes for a lighter load on our boys (at district) this year. The Great Hearts Monte Vista girls team has been improving and growing the last few years and challenged our girls (at regionals). That will help in our relays."
Flour Bluff returns two of the best swimmers in the area in Jenny Pena and Patience Orms, who were part of the Hornets 200-meter freestyle relay that earned silver at the state meet last season.
Orms has already broken her own school record in the 200 individual medley and also qualified for state in the 100 breaststroke last season, finishing sixth.
Pena earned an individual state medal in the 100 backstroke, claiming bronze last season, while also advancing to the finals in the 100 butterfly.
"Patience and Jenny have little mini goals that they want to hit all along the way to state, that they want to accomplish," Hutchinson said. "For everyone else on the team, they are going to have to claw and scratch to get out. Hopefully they can hang on.
"Relay-wise it is about swimming smart and safe, and it gives us a chance to swim different kids in relays, to see who will be the best combination if we can get to state."
Hutchinson has been pleased with Jaden Ferguson and Jaden Lopez, who have emerged as sophomores to lead the Hornets boys. Lopez holds the top seed in the boys 50 free and the 100 butterfly, and Ferguson is the top entrant in the 100 backstroke and 200 free.
The top six finishers in each event will advance to the Region VIII-5A meet scheduled for Feb. 3-4 at the Corpus Christi Natatorium.
BOYS
Dabeluchi Isiofia, jr., Veterans Memorial — 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Jaden Ferguson, so., Flour Bluff — 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke
Jaden Lopez, so., Flour Bluff — 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly
GIRLS
Emily Hand, jr., King— 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
Jennifer Pena, sr., Flour Bluff — 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly
Patience Orms, sr., Flour Bluff — 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What to watch for at the District 29-5A Swim Meet
