Making a splash: ABQ Academy girls, Eldorado boys claim state swimming and diving titles

No individual records fell during Saturday’s high school state swimming and diving meet.

But host Albuquerque Academy smacked the record its girls team set in winning last year, totaling 335 points. And the Chargers girls won for the eighth straight time — also a record, breaking a tie with Los Alamos. It was the 24th team championship for the program, which pads its own state-best mark.

On the boys side, everyone was chasing defending champ Eldorado and all challengers came up short as the Eagles went back to back by holding off Los Alamos and Academy.

In the small school competition, Cottonwood Classical won both the boys and girls events.

Last year’s Chargers girls put up 290 points without winning a single event, displaying amazing depth.

The Chargers padded their total this year by winning the 200 freestyle relay and senior Maya Van Atta took gold in the 50 free.

“We’ve got a really great group of girls and they continue to surprise us and step up in big moments,” said Academy coach John Butcher. “We were in a great position this year to have our biggest roster qualify. And that depth is just huge for us. Our quality at the top in addition to our depth was a big part of why I think that margin grew this year for us.”

Farmington’s Zenon McCluhan took the individual race of the day, winning the 50-yard freestyle 0.02 seconds ahead of runner-up Mark Cecco of Eldorado.

The top seed in the event, McCluhan used his long arms at the end to win in 20.84.

“It was a close one for sure. It’s more fun than anything,” he said of the tight result. “I have a lot of fun with racing. You can’t get much better than that. Get in as fast as possible, I’m 6-(foot), 5-(inches), so I have a lot of reach to just to try to get first place.”

And the result proved to be a bit of redemption for McCluhan, who tallied second in the event last year after winning the 100 freestyle.

“I felt a lot of pressure to get first again, but to get first in the 50 meant a lot to me because I didn’t win it last year,” he said. “It felt good.”

Cecco got his revenge later in the meet, taking the rematch in the 100, winning in a time of 46.10, a margin of 0.13 seconds over McCluhan.

“Me and Zenon, we knew we were going to be going at it (Saturday) so he squeaked out on me on the 50 so I kind of knew I had to have that chip on my shoulder, come back and out-touch him a little bit,” Cecco said. “He’s a great competitor. I love racing against him. The adrenaline is going because you see that opponent next to you.”

Cecco, as well as his fellow seniors, sported fake ink sleeves as a show of unity and team spirit.

“All the seniors, they got together, they said they wanted to do tattoo sleeve and I told them it would be cool to do a (Olympic gold medalist) Caeleb Dressel-like sleeve … so I thought I might as well try and replicate it. We just put it on, they’re like the little ones you get as little kids; eventually will wash off. We even got some of our coaches to do it. They were a little hesitant at first, but we got some of the coaches to do it.”

Meanwhile, Eagles teammate Nolan Arnholt and Cole Bettis, who remain teammates next school year at Utah, each came away with two individual wins, with Bettis taking the 200 individual medley and the 100 breast stroke, while Arnholt grabbed the 200 and 500 freestyles.

“Coming into the meet, I was aiming for those two pool records,” Arnholt said, pointing up at the wall of records. “I came up a little short on both of them, but I’m still happy with my times. I had a lifetime best in both my events so I can’t really complain.”

For the Chargers, Van Atta couldn’t help but get a bit overwhelmed by the results.

“We’ve been at this ever since I’ve been here in the eighth grade and it’s really exciting as team because with the morale of the team, it makes you want to keep swimming faster. And this year, it was a really sentimental since its my senior year. It’s always exciting and I always cry and I love it.”

Photos: New Mexico swimming and diving championship