Cinco Ranch, Cy Creek claim titles at region swim meet

Cinco Ranch and Cypress Creek earned the team titles at the Class 5A Region V swimming finals at the University of Houston Recreation and Wellness Center on Monday.

 Cinco Ranch totaled 300 points in winning the girls crown; Cypress Creek claimed the boys title with 296 points.

All of Monday’s event winners earned spots in the state meet Feb. 18-19 in Austin.

4 individuals win twice

Bellaire’s Jake Ritter, Katy Taylor’s Albert Riley, and Cypress Creek’s Jonathan Edwards and Kathryn Eckhart each won two events.

Riley began by helping Taylor win the 200-yard medley relay and then came back to take gold medals in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Riley set a regional record in the 100 with a time of 45.44 seconds.

“I had a good relay to start off the meet and some good swims to follow,” Riley said. “I went faster in the (100 free) than I thought I would. My goal was to get ahead from the start and build into the finish.”

Ritter came away with first-place finishes in the 200 freestyle (1:39.74) and 500 freestyle (4:31.81).

The Bellaire senior earned his second trip to the state meet, where his goal will be to crack the top eight.

“I made it in the 500 last year, but I didn’t do very well,” Ritter said. “I hope to play off how well I did this week.”

Eckhart will make her third trip to state after winning the 50 free and 100 backstroke.

Monday’s winning time of 23.44 in the 50 gives Eckhart a third shot in that event. She won the state title two years ago and placed fourth last season.

“I was a little disappointed with the prelim sessions, but it was good enough to get me into the finals,” Eckhart said. “I was ready to go for finals.”

The competition was intense.

“I won the 50 free my freshman year (in 23.11), so that’s my best time,” Eckhart said. “In my events I’m swimming, everyone is a contender, so I have to be ready to go.”

Familiar face returns

Edwards will head to Austin for the fourth time in as many years after winning the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.

Riley joins Edwards as a four-time qualifier with gold medals in the 50 and 100 free events.

Memorial senior Harrison Robinson provided two of the meet’s biggest surprises by coming out of the outside lanes to win the 100 butterfly and place second in the 200 freestyle.

“I was sick on Saturday (during the prelims), so I didn’t perform my best,” Robinson said. “But I felt a lot better (Monday), so I got out there and did my best.”