Palo Verde keeps goal intact with sweep in Sunset Region swimming

Palo Verde swimming coach Robert Nicholson said his teams have a motto this season: "The mission is clear, a clean sweep this year."

The Panthers, who won the 2008 boys state title and finished second in the girls meet, got closer to reaching that goal by sweeping the Sunset Region titles Saturday at Desert Breeze.

Palo Verde's boys scored 386 points. Bishop Gorman took second (261) and Spring Valley third (203). Palo Verde's girls won with 450 points, followed by Gorman (256) and Faith Lutheran (224).

"We had great swims," Nicholson said. "The kids were getting great times, and we just started filling slots we didn't think we were going to get."

Spring Valley freshman Dylan Wolf won the Sunset Region Boys Swimmer of the Year award, and Palo Verde's Mikayda Mills and Faith Lutheran's Samantha Pearson split the honor for the girls.

Wolf won the 100 butterfly with a Sunset Region-record time of 50.53 seconds and the 200 freestyle (1:40.42). Both times qualified him for automatic All-America status.

"For the 100-yard fly, I was just trying to bring it home and keep them off me," Wolf said. "The 200 free kind of scared me, as I was behind a half-body length until the last lap. I just started closing on (Palo Verde's Gianni Sesto), and I beat him coming off the last turn by putting my head down and going strong."

Mills became a four-time regional champion by winning the 50 free (24.28) and the 100 free (52.70).

"I go out as hard as I can and try to bring it home as hard as I can," Mills said. "I'm really excited to go up to Reno, and I think I can drop some time and hopefully win."

Pearson took the 100 backstroke (57.53) and was second in the 200 freestyle (1:55.78). Palo Verde's Alexis Mayhill won the girls 200 individual medley (2:10.76).

Palo Verde's Jake Priest won the 200 individual medley (1:55.73), Jay Sirat won the 50 freestyle (21.47), and Sesto captured the 100 backstroke (52.18) for the Panthers.

Arbor View's Brian Martinez won the boys 100 freestyle (46.65) and 100 breaststroke (59.26). The Meadows' Jessie Barra won the girls 200 freestyle (1:55.44) and 500 freestyle (5:07.32).