Castillo, Nations take MVP honors at Pasadena Harvest Classic Meet

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

PASADENA, TEXAS (September 29, 2017) Pasadena Memorial High School’s Marco Castillo and Tomball High School’s Delaney Nations were selected as the Outstanding Competitors of the Meet at the Pasadena Harvest Classic Swimming and Diving Invitational. The award was determined by a vote of the coaches and officials at the meet. The competition was held on Friday, September 29, 2017 and saw teams from as far away as the Lufkin, Texas area battling for supremacy in the crystal waters of Shippey Aquatic Center in Pasadena, Texas. 

Castillo competed in five individual events; bringing home three gold and one silver medals, and with leading the Mavericks to three bronze medals in relay events. The senior, who competed in both swimming and diving, won gold medals in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard breaststroke, and one-meter springboard diving, along with a silver medal in the 100-yard individual medley. In addition, he was an integral part of Pasadena Memorial’s success in the mixed 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, and 400-yard freestyle relay. Castillo is coached in swimming by Robert Kelly and in diving by Darla Kelly. The Kelly's are long-time coaches in the Pasadena Independent School District.

Nations scored three silver medals in the 100-yard individual medley, and as a member of Tomball’s 200-yard medley relay, and 400-yard freestyle relay. In addition, she placed fourth in the 50-yard butterfly and swam the anchor leg of their fifth place 200-yard freestyle relay. She is coached by Brian Vestal.

In the team standing, Tomball took the title followed closely in the second place by Pasadena Memorial. Sam Rayburn High School place third with Pasadena High School in fourth and Huntington High School in fifth.

LSU Women's Swimming Defeats Vanderbilt, 200-61

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (September 23, 2016)  Kara Kopcso, Leah Troskot, Colleen O’Neil and Makenna Wilson garnered two individual events apiece, leading the LSU women’s swimming team (1-0) to a 200-61 victory over Vanderbilt (0-1) at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville Friday afternoon.

“It was nice to get a starting point for our women from the season,” said LSU swimming coach Dave Geyer. “This is close to three weeks earlier than we raced last season, so we haven’t focused too much on our details in training and that was evident. It’s a long process for the season, and it was great to start off with a win for the women.”

Kopcso placed first in the 200 free and 100 fly, posting times of 1:50.73 and 54.67 respectively.

Troskot notched first place finishes in both the 50 free and 100 free with times of 23.78 and 51.27.

O’Neil secured victories in the 100 and 200 breast, finishing with times of 1:02.71 and 2:18.91

Wilson tallied wins in the 100 back and 200 back, earning times of 56.75 and 2:02.39.

All four ladies were also part of the 200-medley relay team that took first place with a time of 1:43.49 to start the meet. The relay team of Haylee Knight, Kate Zimmer, Troskot and Kopcso wrapped up the meet with a first place time of 3:29.85 in the 400 yard free relay.

Sophomore Gabrielle Pick took first in the 200 fly with a personal best of 2:02.29 to earn her first career win. Senior Sophie Weber won the 200 IM with a final time of 2:04.50. Senior Devon Dabney also tacked on another first place finish in the 500 free, ending with a time of 5:01.70, and junior Jane MacDougall placed second in the 1000 free with a time of 10:26.99.

The women return to Baton Rouge for the annual Purple and Gold Intrasquad meet on Saturday. The meet begins at 11 a.m. inside the LSU Natatorium and admission is free.