Neptunes swimmers compete in Joplin

Nevada Daily Mail

JOPLIN -- The Nevada Neptunes swim team got back into action last weekend, competing in the Joplin Tri-State Invitational swim meet, at the Schifferdecker Pool.

The event featured 12 Tri-State teams, one guest team and approximately 550 swimmers. Of those 550, Nevada sent more than 50 swimmers, Neptunes head coach Karen Claypool said.

Originally scheduled to be held over two days, Mother Nature forced the meet to be called off early. With thunderstorms in the area throughout the day on Sunday, officials had no choice but to cut the weekend's events short, calling off all of the day's scheduled events.

Nevada's 50-plus swimmers combined for a total of 43 top-eight finishes in individual events and six top-five finishes in relay races. Of those 49 combined top finishes, eight of them were first-place showings.

Those first-place finishes came from Addison Zamora in the girls' 6-and-under 25-yard freestyle, Chloe Morris in the girls' 8-and-under 100-yard individual medley, Makayla Haner in the girls' 13-14 50-yard backstroke, Cody Leung in the boys' 8-and-under 25-yard freestyle, 25-yard backstroke and 100-yard individual medley, Ethan Gravely in the boys' 10-and-under 50-yard freestyle and the girls' 200-yard medley relay team of Clara Wehrman, Jessica Zamora, Paige Webb and Courtney Smith. Nevada got second-place finishes from Jessica Zamora om the girls' 15-18 50 free, the girls' 10-and-under 100 medley relay team of Emma Bruce, Abbigale Baldwin, Avery Morris and Franki Fine, and the girls' 13-14 200 medley relay team of Haner, Peyton Claypool, Mikayla Mohrmann and Madilyn McCaffree.

Addison Zamora was third in the girls' 6-and-under 25 back, as were Leah Bogart in the girls' 13-14 50 free, Mohrmann and Marissa Matthews in the girls' 13-14 50 back, Jessica Zamora in the girls' 15-18 200 free, Kolton Evans in the boys' 6-and-under 25 free and 25 back, Ryan Raney in the boys' 6-and-under 25 back, and the girls' 8-and-under 100 medley relay team of Sydnee Baldwin, Addison Zamora, Chloe Morris and Kiera Gravely. Fourth-place finishes for the Neptunes came from Sophia Wehrman in the girls' 11-12 100 IM, Webb in the girls' 15-18 50 back, Raney in the boys' 6-and-under 25 free, Kalen Morris in the boys' 11-12 50 free, and the girls' 13-14 200 medley relay team of Caroline McCaffree, Courtney Leeker, Janna Scotten and Marissa Matthews.

A total of eight Neptunes brought home fifth-place finishes in four individual events and one relay, led by Sophia Wehrman in the girls' 11-12 50 free, Haner in the girls' 13-14 200 IM, Peyton Claypool in the girls' 13-14 200 IM, Jessica Zamora in the girls' 15-18 200 IM and the boys' 10-and-under 100 medley relay team of Avery Bogart, Leung, Ethan Gravely and Michael Culpeper. The squad's nine sixth-place finishes came from Sydnee Baldwin in the girls' 8-and-under 25 back, Wehrman in the girls' 11-12 50 back, Mohrmann in the girls' 13-14 50 free and 200 IM, Sami Fine in the girls' 13-14 50 free, Leeker in the girls' 13-14 50 back, Caroline McCaffree in the girls' 13-14 50 back and Webb in the girls' 15-18 200 free.

Clara Wehrmann took seventh in the girls' 15-18 50 back, as did Shon Bogart in the boys' 8-and-under 25 free and 25 back. Nevada's race finishes were rounded out by eighth-place showings by Kiera Gravely in the girls' 8-and-under 25 free, Avery Morris in the girls' 10-and-under 50 back, Scotten in the girls' 13-14 200 IM, Webb in the girls' 15-18 200 free, Smith in the girls' 15-18 200 IM, Ethan Gravely in the boys' 10-and-under 50 back and Kalen Morris in the boys' 11-12 50 back.

Nevada rounded out the meet with Addison Zamora and Leung bringing home first-place High Point Award trophies in the girls' 6-and-under and boys' 8-and-under divisions, respectively.

As a team, the Neptunes were awarded the third-place trophy for the meet, which was determined based on team points. It was the first trophy the Neptunes have brought home this season.