Canyon View Boys and Girls Swim Teams win State Championships

The Canyon View High School boys and girls swim teams each clinched the 3A state championship titles on Saturday night.

 

After four consecutive years as runners-up, the Canyon View boys emerged victorious this year, amassing 353 team points to secure the 3A title, while runner-up Union scored 217.

 

Meanwhile, the Canyon View girls dominated their meet, scoring 509 team points, more than double the total of second-place Union’s 248.5.

 

Head coach Kirt Brown expressed his elation, stating, "I have been waiting for this team. We have had a few second-place years, but this is a complete championship team."

 

Brown described the experience of both teams taking state as "a completely new feeling."

 

"I don’t have the words, but it is more than amazing," Brown added.

 

He also praised his coaching staff and athletes, noting that many swimmers set new personal bests at state and several school records were broken.

 

"I am proud of all of them," he said.

 

The teams’ celebratory fire truck rides up Cedar City's Main Street are tentatively scheduled to take place right after school on Friday, Feb. 20.

 

In the boys' events, junior Sean Cannon set new 3A state records in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. In the 200 free preliminaries on Friday night, Cannon posted a time of 1:41.89, tying a 10-year-old state mark set by Park City’s Lucas Hess in 2016. Cannon then won Saturday’s final in 1:42.01.

 

In the finals of the 100 back on Saturday, Cannon set a new state 3A record of 51.19, winning the race by more than four seconds and breaking his own personal best by 0.43 seconds.

 

Cannon also swam the backstroke leg of the 200-yard medley relay and anchored the 400-yard medley relay, helping the Falcons to first-place finishes in both events. In addition to his four gold medals won at state, Cannon also won a trophy for being named the 3A state meet’s top male swimmer.

 

Also earning four gold medals was junior Ty Lauer, who swam the same two relays as Cannon and also won both of his individual events. Lauer placed first in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:01.50 and won the 500 free in a time of 4:48.54.

 

Senior Ryker Poulos won the 100 fly in a time of 51.43 seconds, cutting his personal best by 0.64 seconds. Poulos also placed third in the 100 breast with a time of 1:02.13.

 

Other Canyon View swimmers earning points at the state meet, either in individual or relay events, included Kaden Beckstrand, Jaxon Bleak, Mason Carter, Connor Davie, Lincoln Mangum, Ronny Pangan, and Cole Stanley.

 

On the girls' side, five different Canyon View swimmers won at least one individual gold medal at state, with one of them winning both of her races. Senior sprinter Soleil Grimshaw placed first in the 50 free with a time of 25.30 and first in the 100 free with a time of 55.01, both personal bests. Grimshaw was named the top female swimmer of the 3A state meet.

 

Grimshaw also anchored Canyon View’s two winning relays. The Falcons won the 200 medley relay in 1:56.86, more than five seconds faster than runner-up Emery’s time of 2:02.31. In the 400 free relay at the end of the meet, the Falcons posted a time of 3:50.93, winning that race by almost nine seconds.

 

Senior Sydni Lauer won the 100 fly in 1:03.66, improving her personal best by 3.92 seconds. She also placed second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:27.05, cutting more than six seconds from her previous personal best.

 

A trio of juniors also each won one individual event and placed highly in another:

 

Gracie Taylor won the 100 back in a personal-best time of 1:04.06. She also placed second in the 200 free with a time of 2:03.38, also a PR.

 

Lucy Tanner won the 100 breast in a time of 1:14.49, cutting 0.69 off her personal best. Tanner also placed third in the 200 IM.

 

Distance swimmer Sydney Lovell won the 500 free in 5:40.78, in addition to taking third in the 200 free.

 

Other Canyon View swimmers earning points at the state meet included Shaylee Alger, Lori Bailey, Kamryn Beckstrand, Madi Fletcher, Gwendaline Gardiner, Amelia Lafleur, Kolett Lovell, Kenley Reynolds, Faith Riddle, Lexi Rushton, Evaleen Schoonmaker, and Juliet Vanderhoven.