Mustangs takes 3rd at state meet

AIR FORCE ACADEMY -- “It was incredible,” coach Susan Stone said. “Absolutely incredible.”

The Mullen boys swimming and diving coach has a point. On Saturday at the fabled Air Force Academy Natatorium – with probably the greatest swimming sign in the state that reads: “Where The Air is Rare, 7,257 feet” -- her Mustangs rose up and grabbed third place at the Colorado Class 4A meet. And they did it with only seven competitors and just one senior, yet won the final relay race of the day in style, put out a couple of school records and probably turned a few heads with their lower numbers.

“Oh, oh, 100 percent,” senior Blayze Jessen said of his team’s performance. “We’re so thrilled. We were 16th last year and to move up 13 spots in a
year, that’s huge. We were probably one of the smallest teams here.”

Said sophomore William Chavez: “We didn’t see it coming … I didn’t see it coming … I thought maybe top five, that would be cool.”

But the Mustangs, who at one point dropped out of the top 10 in team standings, rallied late.

Capped by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay, Mullen ended with 187 points. It put the Mustangs behind only champion Windsor (202) and Discovery Canyon. Their time of 3 minutes, 10.64 seconds won by more nearly 3 seconds and established one of the school marks. In order, Chavez, Cameron Smooke, Ben Freeman and Jessen blew away the field.

“Oh, yeah, couldn’t have gone out in a better way,” said Jessen, who will swim next school year at the University of Denver.

Jessen and Chavez were at the front of Mullen’s parade.

Jessen took second in the 200 individual medley in 1:51.72 for Colorado All-America consideration and the first Mullen record of the day, and was third in the 100 breaststroke (58.45). Chavez had fifths in both the 50 free (21.65) and 100 free (47.57), his best overall time and top high-school time, respectively.

And in relays, Chavez, Noah Maestas, Freeman and Jessen were runners-up in the 200 free relay in 1:27.74, and Baker, Maestas, Smooke and Freeman were ninth in the 200 medley relay (41.90).

Smooke also took seventh in the 500 free ({4:58.38). The Mustangs loaded up here as Baker was 12th (5:01.50) and Freeman 14th (5:02.20).

Maestas added an 11th (1:01.40 in the 100 breast (1:01.40) and Baker was 16th in the 100 back (57.69).

Smooke, one of three competitors from nearby Colorado Academy, said “it was fun. It was hard. I’m really tired and I’m kind of happy it’s over, but we had a good year and we won the (400 free) relay.

“Yeah, it was cool (competing in a co-op). It was nice to be able to swim with different people not necessarily correlated with CA and see what other sports are like outside of CA.”

Stone said her lower levels are good, Jessen was the team’s only senior at state and the program is on the upswing.

In addition, she led Mullen’s girls in the winter season to a tie for sixth place and said she’s excited about where the program is heading. Saturday’s finish for boys was the Mustangs’ best since 2012.

“Both are special,” Stone replied when asked to compare her program’s seasons in the 2017-18 school year. “This one was huge because it is like winning for us. I worked hard. The kids worked hard. It was great!”