CHS swimmers host meet tonight for first time

Clovis High’s swimmers are getting a bit of an early start this year, and coach Vincent de Maio can’t wait.

The Wildcats and Lady Wildcats host a triangular today — the first home meet in the program’s four-year history — against Carlsbad and Hobbs at the Clovis Aquatic Center, Sycamore and 7th, with the competition to begin at 5 p.m.

Clovis finished 16th in girls state competition last February while the boys were 20th. De Maio, who has coached the program since its inception, expects big improvement.

“We’re going to be really good this year,” he said. “We’re going to take a quantam leap this year. We’ll set every school record, no doubt.”

There are 14 boys and 14 girls in the program, de Maio said, including some eighth graders moving up from a developmental program.

“This is the first year we’re going to have relay teams where all four members of the team were individual state qualifiers,” he said.

Among the leaders for the program are junior Jill Southard for the girls, a top-8 state finisher last year in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and freshman Lucas Brock and junior Nick de Maio for the boys. Both were state qualifiers in the 200 and 500 freestyle races last year.

This is the earliest meet the program has had in its history. Another meet is scheduled for Pecos, Texas, on Nov. 14.

“We’re pretty excited to be able to swim a home meet,” coach de Maio said.