Swim Team Ready To Compete At State

By Nicky Romero
For the Mountain Mail

“We Train, Because :01 Counts!” is the slogan printed on the Socorro High School Warrior Swimming Team t-shirts. Diedra Vinson is the swim coach who passionately reminds and trains her swimmers according to this slogan.
Vinson is a 5th grade teacher at Zimmerly Elementary School. She has been the swim coach for four years. She coaches nine months out of the year (summer squad and high school squad). In the summertime, she coaches 120 swimmers. For the second year in a row, she has had 30-plus swimmers on the varsity team.
“The summer program feeds the high school program,” Vinson said. “To have as many kids that we do, the program is getting stronger and stronger.
“I know how hard the kids work in the pool and the commitment it takes. We practice in the evening when all the social activities are going on. I know the sacrifice they make. But when you see them grow and reach their goals, it is worth all the work and sacrifice.”
According to Vinson, all New Mexico high school swim teams are lumped into one division (5A), regardless of school size. Socorro has qualified for state during all four years of her coaching.
She adds, “For these kids to keep up that caliber of swimming and that commitment is totally amazing.”
Commitment consists of five days a week, 2½ hours a day, and up to 16 hours on a Saturday for swim meets.
“To get up when it's 16 degrees outside to go swimming, they're a little crazy” she laughs. “Even seniors that come out for the first time, they don't quit.”
“On the boys side, I have Joe Carilli, whose a good swimmer for his first year out. Returnee David Chavez came out to the pool to get stronger for football. Sean Ernst, a first year senior, is swimming good and has a strong work ethic. Avery Ngo, who is also on the basketball team, is only two seconds away from qualifying in the butterfly.
“Randall Romero has been on the team for three years and is our backstroker. Randall got into swimming to get stronger for golf. Peter Vogal, a third-year swimmer, joined swimming so that he wouldn't drown while he kayaks and now does the 500. Derrick Vinson, my son, and that's all I'm going to say about that.”
The swim team has three senior girls.
“Nikki Engler is a complete athletic phenom. She has qualified at the state level in every sport that she's played -- soccer, swimming , and track. She is a hard worker and the anchor of our relays. Jennell Higgs' work ethic is second to none. She's a fierce competitor and she pushes the rest of the team. Then we have Maureen Trujillo swims to get that strength to play softball.
Six girls have already qualified for the state meet. They are Janelle Higgs, Nikki Engler, Angelina Stanzione, Jordan Vinson, DariAna Contreras, and JeriAna Contreras.
Janelle Higgs has qualified for six events at state, but she can only particpate in two individual events according to swim rules.
Last week at the district meet in Albuquerque, the boys finished fifth and the girls were seventh out of 10 teams.
Engler was fourth in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle, Higgs was second in the 100 butterfly and third in the 100 backstroke and the girls were third in the 200 freestyle relay.
The state meet will take place Feb. 19 and 20. Qualifiers include Higgs, Angelina Stanzione, Jordan Vinson, JeriAna Contreras, Mirjana Gacanich, and Avery Ngo.
On Saturday, Feb. 6, the swim team traveled to Albuquerque to participate in the West Mesa Invitational. Teams that competed were West Mesa, Sandia, Del Norte, and St Pius.
Higgs, Angelina Stanzione, Engler and Jordan Vinson won the girls 200 medley in 2:04.52, Stanzione won the 50 free in 27.7, Higgs won the 100 butterfly in 1:02.36, Ngo was third in the 100 butterfly in 59.62, Engler was second in the 100 freestyle in 1:01.16 and the girls won the 200 freestyle relay as well.

Swim Team Ready To Compete At State