Regional and State Qualifiers Fuel Near Comeback at 2024 Ranger Relays

Jesuit Swimming and Diving competed in its second meet of the season at its annually hosted Ranger Relays. This year’s edition was held on September 28th, returning to Southern Methodist University’s Robin and Lindley Aquatics Center. Ranger Relays was back after taking a year off due to a scheduling conflict. The Rangers teamed up with Ursuline Academy’s swim team, the meet combining the boys and girls scores. The combined teams of Jesuit and Ursuline came in second, nearly knocking off Southlake Carroll, who’s had a grip over the meet ever since it started. 

The beauty of the meet is that it is pure relays. Every event swum is a relay up until the 50 Free shootout at the end. It has some of the traditional relays like the 200 medley and 400 free relays, but also features some unusual ones like the 200 breatstroke relay. Overall, it proved a good showing for both teams and a demonstration of the team’s depth.

Early Struggles and Persistence

The Jesuit-Ursuline Blue Squad (The “A” Team) experienced a mixed-bag to start off. The Ursuline team got off to a solid start, with junior Bella Dewhirst, freshman Elizabeth Deng, senior Ariana Burlingame, and junior Natilie Estrada came in fifth. However, the Jesuit-Ursuline Blue boys relay of Jonah Ruhl, Grant Wilton, Flynn Hughes, and Sebastian Suwanda was disqualified due to a false start. It should be noted that ten of the fifteen teams during this relay were disqualified. 

Despite the shaky start, the Jesuit-Ursuline team got back on track during the next two relays. Up first was the 200 fly relay. The girls finished fourth as the team of Burlingame (27.92), Paulina Hunt (31.41), Claire Rogers (34.03), and Dewhirst (28.97) combined for a time of 2:02.33. The Jesuit Relay showed its depth at the fly position, throwing its best flyers up for the relay. Junior Luke Lary led off with a time of 23.73. He handed it off to fellow junior Sam Kennington, who split a 24.30. Kennington, who usually serves as a sprint freestyler for the Rangers, has recently dipped his toe into the 100 fly. Kennington handed it off to sophomore Drew Shippey, who split a 25.69.  Anchoring the relay was senior Flynn Hughes, who split a 24.22.

The next relay the, the 400 Medley Relay, is one of the more unusual events of the meet. Instead of the traditional back, breast, fly, free order, each swimmer swims a 100 Individual Medley. Jesuit-Ursuline Blue’s girls team recorded their third consecutive top-five finish of the meet. The team of Dang (1:07.87), sophomore Emma Rodriguez (1:14.72), Carloette Fowler (1:10.58), and senior Adeline Wongso (1:02.84) combined for a time of 4:36.01, out touching the squad from Plano West by .07 to claim fourth. The Jesuit relay team of Ruhl (54.47), Suwanda (58.28), Lary (55.48), and Hughes (57.66) combined to win the event in a time of 3:45.89. The bested the squad of Lenardo Xiao, Lucas Mijares, Dylan Heldenbrand and Thomas Paskvan from Southlake Carrol by almost two seconds to take the win.

Gathering Momentum

The next relay up on the block was 200 breastroke relay. Both boys and girls Jesuit-Ursuline Blue teams placed within the top 3 in the event. The Ursuline relay of Rodriguez (39.15), Fowler (34.96), Dang (35.82), and Wongso (32.17) placed second, finishing behind the Southlake Carroll Squad Merren Grannell, Carolina Lotrean, Kay Deyong, and Lauren Boswell. The Jesuit team of senior Oliver Miller (30.18), Teddy Matthews (34.79), Michael Sanmiguel (31.68), and Wilton (29.59) finished third behind both relays from Southlake Carroll.

Following a pair of unusual relays, the meet returned to one of the more traditional ones, the 200 Freestyle Relay. The Ursuline squad, consisting of Rodriguez, Hunt, Rogers, and Brighton Portocalis combined for a time of 1:56.36 to place ninth. Kennington returned to his sprint freestyle roots, leading off the relay in a 22.11. Second and third was JP McCosker (25.05) and Jack Stevens (24.94), respectively. Anchoring the relay was Jackson Addison-Jordan, who split a 22.52. Jesuit placed fifth behind Southlake Carroll, Plano Senior, Plano East, and Coppell. 

After the 200 Freestyle Relay, the 400 Medley Relay was swum. While commonplace at most club meets, this relay is not featured in the high school lineup. Ursuline took their best finish of the meet. Senior Caroline Rippel led off the relay, going 1:02.76 backstroke split. She handed it off to fellow senior Adeliene Wongso, who would split a 1:10.62 100 breastroke. Follwing Wongso, Ariana Burlingame split a 1:03.86 100 butterfly. Bringing the anchor for Ursuline’s medley relay was junior Natalie Estrada, who split a 55.96 100 freestyle. The Jesuit relay would end up finishing sixth, with a time of 3:55.15. Sophomore Drew Shippey led off the relay splitting a 59.46 100 backstroke. He handed it off to Jesuit’s breastroker Grant Wilton, who split a 1:05.80. Jesuit’s butterfly leg was Jihaad Houston, who split a 58.34. Anchoring the Rangers’ relay was Sam Kennington, who split a 51.55. 

Following the 400 Medley, it was the 200-backstroke relay up next. The Ursuline team of Bella Dehwirst, Clare Rogers, Charlotte Fowler, and Caroline Rippel combined for a time of 2:02.35 to claim their second straight runner-up finish. On the boys side, the team of Senior Captain Michael Hasenfratz (28.79), Addison-Jordan (27.67), sophomore Peter Hasik (27.68), and Michael Tobin (27.12) finished fourth with a time of 1:51.26.

The final relay of the day was the 400-freestyle relay. For Ursuline, the team of Natalie Estrada, Brighton Portacalis, Paolina Hunt, and Caroline Rippel combined for a time of 4:01.64 to finish fourth. The Rangers’ squad of Luke Lary, Sebastian Suwanda, Jackson Addison-Jordan, and Jonah Ruhl finished second with a time of 3:18.70. Ruhl came storming back the last 25 meters but was ultimately outtouched by Southlake Carroll’s Aaron Dong. Afterwards, the number of points was calculated, and each team was seeded for the event that is the culmination of the entire meet: the 50 Freestyle shootout.

The 50 Free Shootout

As points were being scored, all the athletes on deck were dancing to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and “FE!N” by Travis Scott. Following this impromptu dace party, the seeds for the 50 Free shootout were announced. The 50 free shootout works as follows:

• Teams are sorted into A and B final based on total points accumulated during the relay portion. 

• Each team puts forward seven different swimmers (A final- 4 boys, 3 girls) or six different swimmers (B final- 3 boys, 3 girls).

• Teams alternate between 4 (or 3 for B final) boys and 3 girls.

• The first group of guys or girls swim, the last swimmer’s team is eliminated from contention in the shootout. This repeats until two teams are left at the end.

• The winner of the final race is the winner of the 50 free shootout and the meet.

The first 50 free shootout was the B-final one. The Coppel Team of Macy Rogerson, Kazuma Matsui, Gabriella Pardo, MJ Holcomb, Anika Bandur and John Lau took the win. 

The A-final shootout, which determines the winner of the meet, turned out to be a real nail-biter. Coach Girard and Coach Moyse decided that the order for the Jesuit-Ursuline squad would be Sam Kennington, Adeliene Wongso, Sebastian Suwanda, Natalie Estrada, Jonah Ruhl, Caroline Rippel, and Luke Lary. 

Kennington was up first, winning the first shootout heat in a time of 22.16. He out touched Plano East’s Winston Le for the win. Southlake Carroll’s Black team was eliminated from contention after the first heat. Following the first men’s heat, it was the ladies’ turn. Jesuit/Ursuline put forward Adeliene Wongso, who swam a 25.71, finishing four one-hundredths just behind Southlake’s Sydney Klopfenstein. Plano East was eliminated from contention during this heat. 

Up next for the Ranger-Bears was junior Sebastian Suwanda. Suwanda was out fast and never looked back, winning the heat in a personal best of 22.63. He out touched his former teammate Quinn Shilliday from Plano Senior to win the heat by three one-hundredths. Eliminated from this heat was Plano West. Suwanda gave way to another junior, Natalie Estrada. Estrada finished second with a time of 25.27, just a half second behind the winner, Emma Bibza from Southlake Carroll. Even though they won the B Final, Coppell High School’s run in the A final was ended at this heat. 

Leading Jesuit-Ursuline into the top four was sophomore Jonah Ruhl. Ruhl had the fastest time of anyone on the team, touching the wall at 21.95. He won the heat from Southlake’s Lucas Mijares by one one-hundredth. Plano Senior was eliminated on a disqualification due to a false start. Jesuit-Ursuline was now into the top three. UA Senior Caroline Rippel was up next. She swam a 25.40, finishing second behind Carroll’s Marin Clem. JJ Pearce’s “A” team was eliminated during this heat.

“when i saw the look in the eyes of the athletes before the blocks, i knew each of them could win. each of these athletes can do something great”-Assistant coach colin feehery

The final came down to Southlake Carroll and Jesuit-Ursuline. William Zhang represented the Dragons, going toe-to-toe with the Rangers’ Luke Lary. As both swimmers dove in, both were neck-and-neck following the first twenty-five yards. As the two remerged to the surface of the water, Zhang took a head-length lead. It remained that way until about twelve-and-a-half yards to go, when Lary hit a surge of water, closing the gap. At the flags, it looked like Lary would get his hand on the wall first. However, he was ultimately out touched by Zhang. Lary would swim a 22.06, compared to Zhang’s 21.91.

Looking Ahead

Jesuit will open their October slate with a duel against Coppell Highschool on October 15th. Following that, the Jesuit-Ursuline Intrasquad will take place on October 22nd. Then, it’s a busy November for the Rangers. To open up, the team duels rivals Highland Park on November 7th. Two weeks later, Jesuit faces its toughest opponent on this year’s schedule, St. Mark’s School of Texas. The Rangers conclude the 2024 calendar year with a senior night Quad meet on December 3rd against Greenhill, Parish, and Cistercian.