After winning District titles in January, the Woodrow Wilson Wildcats Boys and Girls swim teams swam away with a trophy and metals at this years UIL 4-4A Regionals February 7-8 at the LISD Aquatic Center in The Colony. The Girls finished second place overall while the Boys finished in third place. The team is led by 5th year head coach Mr John F. Long who set high goals at the beginning of the season declaring, "We had three goals at the beginning of the year, all of which centered on winning. We accomplished all three of our goals, and did some great things along the way. I am very proud of these swimmers. They are a special bunch."
The Wildcats girls team led by twin sisters Samantha and Olivia Schoenecker (juniors), Michela Maurizi (junior), and Caroline North (freshman) finished second place in the 400m Freestyle, and the team of Greer Lambert, Michela Maurizi, Caroline North, and Lawson Freeman (freshman) finished second place in the 200m Medley relay. Individually, Greer Lambert took third place in the 100m breast stroke; Samantha Schoenecker placed fourth in the 100m Freestyle and fifth in 50m Freestyle; Caroline North placed fourth in the 100m Backstroke and fifth in 200m Individual Medley; Michela Maurizi placed fourth in the 500m freestyle and sixth in the 100m Backstroke; and Olivia Schoenecker placed sixth in both the Girls 200m and 500m Freestyle. Other regional qualifiers with swims that earned points for the Girls team were Kantich Piriyamentha, Maika Beckner, Stephanie Arnold, Erin Choi, Izzy Arimes, Sarah Apple, Sydney Williams, Victorayah Braun, and Leslie Scherger.
The Boys swim team led by Max Zotos (senior), Zane Wright (senior), Noah Thompson (junior), and Colin Weimer (junior) finished third place in both the 200m Medley and 200m Freestyle relays, and the team of Corbin Ray (senior), Blake Norrid (senior), Cole Burnam (junior) and James Holmes (sophomore) placed fourth in the 400m Freestyle. Individually, Max Zotos took third in the 100m Backstroke and sixth in the 200m Individual Medley; Noah Thompson took third in the 100m Freestyle; and Zane Wright took eighth in the 100m Backstroke. Other regional qualifiers with swims that earned points for the Boys team were Jacob Tarpley, Max Sanches, John Graham, Daniel Landers, Alex Krakosky, and Hugh McStravick.
Photos and story submitted by John Scherger