Swimmers sending eight to state

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• Above, Burnet’s boys 200 free relay team of Jack Milliorn, Grant Roberts, Levi Kleen, and Stellan Zollitsch earned a state ticket with their efforts at last weekend’s regional meet. Right, Lady Bulldog swimmers (back row) Caroline Lunsford and Brynlie Tappe, and (front row) Graciela Lara Duran and Emma Collins, combined swims to earn two state tickets in their relay events at regionals.
• Waiting for the go signal Caroline Lunsford steadies herself on the platform. Lunsford collected four state tickets at regionals including a pair from individual events and two from relay swims. Photos by Wayne Craig/Clear Memories

Burnet’s Green Wave swim team competed at Regionals over the weekend and after Sunday’s call-ups were released eight swimmers had punched their tickets all the way to state.

In swimming, the top two swimmers from each district automatically advance to state, followed by the next eight fastest times from across the state. This helps the top athletes achieve a state berth outside of the top two finishers if they happen to be in one of the fastest regions.

The Dawgs had several good swims at regionals.

Event one featured Lady Dawgs Brynlie Tappe, Graciela Lara Duran, Caroline Lunsford, and Emma Collins competing in the girls’ 200 yard medley relay. The Burnet team posted a 2:14.09 in the A finals for eighth place. That time made call-ups to state in the eighth position as well earning all four girls a lane at state.

In the girls’ 200 yard free competition Tappe placed 11 overall at regionals with a 2:22.02 swim. Grant Roberts posted a 1:56.83 for ninth place in the boys’ 200 freestyle.

Duran swam in the 50 yard free at regionals and placed 11 with a time of 27.57. Stellan Zollitsch placed 12 in the boys 50 free with a 23.88.

Grant Roberts was the first Bulldog to earn an individual bid to state doing so in the boys’ 100 yard butterfly. Roberts posted a 57.75 at regionals placing ninth. In call-ups he finished fifth for his state ticket.

Lunsford was the next individual to earn a state spot. She placed fifth at regionals in the girls 100 freestyle, dropping her regional qualifying time by .33 to 57.68. She received a call-up to state in fifth for an individual bid.

In the boys’ 100 yard freestyle event Zollitsch placed eighth overall with a 52.42 time which was .55 seconds better from his qualifier. In call-ups Zollitsch landed in the sixth spot for a state lane.

Tappe competed in the girls’ 500 yard freestyle event. She dropped 2.24 seconds off her qualifying time and posted a 6:17.33 for eighth place in the region. Madison Lawry also swam in the event for Burnet placing 12 with a 6:39.68, a full five seconds better than her time going in.

Burnet had two male swimmers qualifying for regionals in the boys 500 free. Levi Kleen finished ninth with a 5:30.19 dropping 10.33 off his time. Bryce Schwausch placed 10 in the event with a 5:40.18.

Burnet girls relay team of Duran, Collins, Tappe, and Lunsford placed fifth overall with a 1:52.04 in the 200 freestyle relay. In call-ups they received a third place spot earning their team a second ticket to state.

The boys’ relay team will join the girls at state in the 200 yard free. Jack Milliorn, Levi Kleen, Roberts, and Zollitsch finished in eighth place at regionals with a 1:37.94. Their state callup position places them in seventh.

Lunsford picked up her fourth ticket to state in the girls’ 100 yard backstroke competition. She placed fifth at regionals with a 1:04.75. Her time placed her in the third position for state call-ups.

Alex Davis placed 13 in the boys 100 yard breaststroke with a 1:14.48. He was followed by Milliorn in 14 with a 1:14.91.

Burnet’s boys 400 yard free relay team of Rhett Eaton, Jacob Decker, Davis, and Schwausch finished in 10 at regionals with a 4:02.21.

The State Swim meet is slated for Thursday-Friday, Feb. 15-16, at the Josh Davis Natatorium on the North East ISD Campus in San Antonio.