Automatic state qualifying times abound at Brophy Invite

September 27, 2010 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


There were two double-winners on the boys and girls side Saturday at the annual Brophy-Xavier Swim and Dive Invitational at Brophy's Sports Campus.

Desert Edge's Tyler Messerschmidt and Arcadia's Chris Pickard wrapped up titles in the 200 IM and 200 backstroke and 200 free and 100 butterfly, respectivley. Other individual winners on the boys side were Brophy's Gabriel Espinosa (50 free); Chaparral's Tanner Roe (500 free); Red Mountain's John Dowd (100 free) and Shadow Mountain's Thomas Wahlers (100 breaststroke).

Brophy won the boys meet with 454 points followed by Salpointe, Red Mountain and a fourth-place tie between Mountain Pointe and Arcadia.

For the girls, Chaparral's Leticia Lelli and Desert Vista's Erica Stock were two-event winners. Lelli won the 100 fly and 100 back and Stock captured the 200 IM and 100 breast. Other event-winners were Brophy's Alicia Bender (200 free); Canyon del Oro's Maggie McCord (50 frree); Red Mountain's Samantha Guttmacher (100 free) and Chaparral's Megan Cox (500 free).

Xavier won the girls meet with 435 1/2 points followed by Chaparral, Pinnalce and Desert Vista.

Invitationals are doubly important this year in that swimmers and divers can garner automatic berths at state by meeting or beating qualifying standards. At Saturday's meet, 138 times posted by girls earned automatic state berths and 122 times posted by boys did the same. Those totals did not include qualifying times in relay events.