The Bishop Dunne Falcon boys’ swim team qualified in the regional swim meet held at Mansfield Natatorium on Friday, January 30, 2015, to go on to compete at the State meet in San Antonio.

Only sixteen competitors can qualify from all three regions to go on to the State competition.

Robbie Zeske, head swim coach for the 8th year at Bishop Dunne, was thrilled with the results. “I’ve never had this many students who’ve come in under the qualifying times. We have a real contender for a State Champion in Elijas Recinos. He’s been swimming competitively since he was ten,” she says.

Zeske was also impressed by the boys’ free relay team, “They cut off a good five seconds from their best time,” she said, “I told them they needed to, and they did it. They rose to the occasion.” She also noted that Tre’jzon Blair, a senior, swam the 50 freestyle in 28 seconds, explaining, “A decent time is under 30, and he beat that.”

Miles Barksdale cut off nine seconds on his 100 breaststroke, beating out his teammate Kyle Sivinski for a place in the men’s A-medley relay. Sivinski will be competing in the pre-relay, and so will travel to State with the team.

“We had so many personal records,” Zeske added. “That’s our goal. They’ve been working hard.” Freshman Thomas Lincoln surprised her by placing 8th in the 50 freestyle.

The team celebrated with an annual team dinner at the Olive Garden Friday after the meet, then returned to Dallas.

Zeske notes that the team has grown since she took over the swim program eight years ago. “The year before I started coaching, there were three swimmers on the team,” she said, “We’ve been consistently adding about five new team members every year. And each year the caliber of the swimmers seems to be higher – but we also accept beginners,” she added. Zeske took 14 swimmers to the Regionals and six will be competing at the state level in the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio.

The middle school team also did very well this season in the Middle School Championship Meet on Saturday, January 23, 2015, held in The Colony. “Angelo Bianco, an 8th grader, placed first in two events, and he placed in the top four in the other two. Madeline Palmer, a 7th grader, placed second in one race and placed fourth in another. The list of students who’ve applied for admission to Bishop Dunne includes 32 potential swimmers. “We’re looking good for next year,” Coach Zeske announced.

The following high school swimmers met the qualifying times for State meet in one or both of their events:

• Women's 200 Medley Relay placed 8th and their 200 Freestyle Relay placed 8th.
• Men's A 200 Medley Relay placed 6th and their 200 Freestyle Relay placed 6th.
• Sophomore Elijah Recinos placed first in the 100 Butterfly and 5th in the 100 Freestyle.
• Freshman Thomas Lincoln placed eighth in the 50 Freestyle and 15th in the 100 Breaststroke.
• Junior Miles Barksdale placed 28 overall in the 50 Freestyle and 12 in the 100 Breaststroke.
• Senior Tre’jzon Blair placed fifteenth overall in the 50 Freestyle and 24th in the 100 Freestyle.
• Junior Kyle Sivinski place twenty-second overall in the 50 Freestyle.

The following qualified to compete at the State level:

• Sophomore Elijah Recinos who is ranked first in the State for 100 Butterfly.
• Men's A 200 Medley Relay and the men's 200 Free Relay.

The following swimmers’ will comprise these two teams:

• Miles Barksdale
• Tre’jzon Blair
• Thomas Lincoln
• Elijah Recinos
• Kyle Sivinski

Alternates:

• Fernando Becerra
• Ricardo Monroy
• Arvin Orquindo
• Jake Robb

Swimming well and placing but not meeting state times were:

• Freshman Cat Day placed thirteenth in the 200 Freestyle and 15th in the 100 Butterfly.
• Junior Ekaterina Boucher placed sixteenth overall in the 50 Freestyle and 21 in the 100 Breaststroke.
• Freshman Emma Barclay placed twenty-fourth in the 50 Freestyle and 12th in the 100 Breaststroke.
• Junior Arvin Oquindo placed twenty-fifth in the 100 Freestyle and 18th in the 100 Backstroke.
• Junior Jake Robb placed twenty-sixth in the 100 Freestyle.
• Freshman Fernando Becerra placed seventeenth in the 100 Backstroke.
• Freshman Lindy Litzenberger placed twenty-third in the 100 Breaststroke.

Olympian Sheila Taorima, the only Olympic athlete to compete in three different sports in three different Olympiads, will be working with the swim team and appearing as a guest speaker at the school on February 17, 2015.

For more information on the Bishop Dunne Swim program, please visit the school’s website: www.bdcs.org or sports website www.Dunnesports.com or contact Robbie Zeske: rzeske@bdcs.org