SBAS foursome win bronze medals in relays at Games of Texas; punch tickets to 2017 State Games of America

The SBAS foursome of (L to R) Landon Howard, Devin Graham, Clayton Melo, and Tristan Morgan won bronze medals in the 200-meter medley relay and 200-meter freestyle relay at the TAAF Games of Texas in Edinburg, Texas.
Submitted photo. Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 Texas Aquatics News

EDINBURG, TEXAS (July 30, 2016) Four members of the South Belt Area "All Stars" Swimming Team (SBAS) swam to bronze medals in two relays at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Games of Texas on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Edinburg Water Park. The foursome of Landon Howard, Devin Graham, Tristan Morgan and Clayton Melo combined to take the bronze medal in both the 18-years old and over 200-meter medley relay and 200-meter freestyle relay and as a result, qualified for the State Games of America National Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August 3-6, 2017.

Their times of 2:16.76 in the medley relay and 2:03.46 in the freestyle relay earned them the bronze medals and established new SBAS team records in the events and punched their tickets to the national championships, which will be contested with athletes from all over the United States and Canada. 

Howard, who was a medalist at the 2015 State Games of America, competed in the 25-29 year old division, in two individual events in Edinburg; the 50-meter backstroke (34.20)  and the 100-meter individual medley (1:12.50). The Sugar Land native took the gold medal in both events and established state records in both events. Graham, a 2015 graduate of Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas, competing in the 18-24 year old division, placed ninth in the 100-meter freestyle and 16th in the 50-meter butterfly. Morgan, a senior at Pasadena Memorial High School, also competed in the 18-24 year old division placed 11th in the 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter breaststroke, 12th in the 50-meter butterfly, and 13th in the 50-meter freestyle. Melo, also competing in the 18-25 division, placed 12th in the 100-meter individual medley and 13th in the 50-meter breaststroke.