Cottonwood swimmers peaking for state

The annual Granite School District Swimming Championships on Dec. 16 certainly treated Cottonwood High’s swimmers well, as a handful of athletes posted season-best times.

Jordan Dahle used the meet to overtake first place in the 5A state rankings in a pair of events. Dahle now leads the boys 200 individual medley (2.51) and 500 freestyle (4:51). He overtook Lehi’s Sam Blackburn in the 200 IM and Viewmont’s Josh Meyers in the 500 free.

Dahle, who leads Cottonwood’s boys team in six of eight individual events, was also ranked fifth in the state in the 100 butterfly (54.46) and sixth in the 50 free (22.54) as of Jan. 8. He is 11th in the state in both the 100 backstroke (56.95) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.82), leading Cottonwood in each event.

Meanwhile, teammate Alex Bowcut leads the Colts in two individual events -- 200 free (1:44.97, second in state) and 100 free (48.35, third in state). Both times were set at the district championships. Bowcut is a mere second behind Brighton’s Long Gutierrez in the 200 free.

Dahle is also third in the state in the 200 free (1:48.21) and fourth in the 100 free (48.97), while Bowcut is ninth in the 50 free (22.71) and 14th in both the 500 free and 100 fly. Koji Aoki is 16th in the 100 back and 20th in the 200 free, Brendan Nguyen is 21st in the 100 back and Scott Fotheringham is 21st in the 100 breast to round out the Colts’ best individual chances at the state meet.

Chloe Simons holds six of the eight top times for Cottonwood’s girls, while Erin Price and JJ Barth each have one. Simons’ best state ranking is in the 100 free, where she is ninth (56.23). She is also 11th in the 50 free (26.14), 12th in the 500 free (5:41.88), 19th in the 200 free (2:08.46), 23rd in the 100 back (1:07.47) and 25th in the 200 IM (2:27.10). Two of Simons’ top times came in a Jan. 5 meet at Jordan, and another at the district championships last month.

Price and Barth each established their top times at the district meet. Price leads Cottonwood’s girls in the 100 fly (1:07.14, 16th in state) and Barth is tops in the 100 breast (1:18.91, 28th in state). Price is also ranked 17th in the 100 free and Rilee Camden is 24th in the 100 back.

The 5A state championships are Feb. 10-11, at Brigham Young University.