The Mustang Broncos hit the pool for two events in four days after three weeks off for Christmas Break.
Mustang traveled to the Mitch Park YMCA for both the Bison Invitational on Jan. 6 and the Putnam City Invitational on Jan. 9, coming away with two strong performances and providing information for coach Tony Evans’ game plan heading into the postseason.
The Broncos turned out eight top-10 times at the Bison Invitational, including a second-place swim by Jacee Jimeson (Sr.) in the 100-yard backstroke.
Jimeson clocked in at 1:04.75 in the backstroke and at 2:19.10 in the 200-yard freestyle where she finished third.
Brenda Nguyen (Sr.), Catherine Hunter (Sr.), and Cori Phelan (Sr.) rounded out the team’s individual top-10s.
Cori Phelan (Sr.) finished 10th in the 100-yard butterfly at the 2024 Bison Invitational at the Mitch Park YMCA in Edmond. Phelan and the Broncos have just the COAC Meet remaining before postseason action begins. (Photo by Shelly Holinsworth / Freelance Action Photography)
Nguyen, a team captain along with Jimeson, finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly, posting a time of 1:08.11. Phelan finished 10th in the same race with a time of 1:27.69.
Hunter placed fourth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 7:45.60.
All three of Mustang’s relay teams finished fourth.
The 200-yard medley team of Jimeson, Nguyen, Aurora Grant (Fr.), and Lillian Pinkerton (Jr.) clocked in at 2:11.03 while the 200-freestyle team of Pinkerton, Jimeson, Nguyen, and Julian Hua (Jr.) finished with a time of 1:58.02.
The 400-yard freestyle team of Phelan, Pinkerton, Grant, and Avery Halcomb (So.) posted a time of 4:55.61.
PC INVITE
Nguyen and Jimeson once again led the way for the Broncos, combining for three runner-up finishes at the Putnam City Invitational.
Nguyen finished second in the 200-yard medley with a time of 2:36.42 and the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in at 1:07.00. Jimeson finished second in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:04.91 and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle at 2:22.61.
Grant and Isabella Bethel (Fr.) rounded out Mustang’s individual top-10s.
Grant finished 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:30.83 while Bethel finished eighth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 7:42.25.
The 200-yard medley relay team of Jimeson, Nguyen, Grant, and Hua finished third at 2:12.48 while the 200-yard freestyle team of Hua, Pinkerton, Jimeson, and Nguyen finished fourth at 1:58.81.
The 400-yard freestyle team of Halcomb, Phelan, Pinkerton and Grant finished eighth.
POSTSEASON IN SIGHT
The Broncos continue their season at the Central Oklahoma Athletics Conference Meet on Jan. 20 at the Mitch Park YMCA, rounding out the regular season campaign with regionals and the State Championship Meet to follow.
Evans is excited to see who steps up for his squad in the final meets of 2024.
“We’re going to have Jacee and Brenda and then kind of piece things together from there,” Evans said. “The next three weeks of practice are going to be big. We have to get some girls to cut times to give us an idea of where we stand going into regionals.”
Regionals are scheduled for Feb. 3 in Edmond, followed by the Class 6A State Championship Meet on Feb. 16-17 at Jenks.
