Ralph Cornejo and Rome Hunt make history as the first 2 swimmers for the Wellington Crusaders
Ralph Cornejo and Rome Hunt.
Sumner Newscow report — For the first time in Wellington High School history, there was representation from USD 353 in boys swimming.
During the past winter, Wellington sophomores: Ralph Cornejo and Rome Hunt have been swimming as part of a cooperative agreement with Winfield. They were following in the footsteps, or make that sea legs, of Jensen Lynnes, who has been swimming in Winfield for two seasons during the spring.
Rome Hunt swimming at the Andover Invitational in December. (Katie Ford photo).
After spending the regular season as Vikings, they became Crusaders during the postseason.
Due to a KSHSAA rule for every sport, athletes will compete with its cooperative team during the regular season, but in the postseason, they will compete for the home school. As a result, Cornejo and Hunt donned the Crusader swim caps for the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. III and IV championships in Buhler in February.
Wellington finished with 43 points, placing them seventh out of nine schools. Buhler won the event with 507 points. Winfield was a third-place finisher in the meet.
Both boys did not qualify for the state meet based on qualifying teams, which they did not reach.
Cornejo and Hunt swam two events at the league meet. Cornejo swam the 50-yard free and the 100-yard fly. He garnered 23 points. Hunt swam the 50-yard and 100-yard free. He would garner 20 points.
The results are as follows:
Cornejo
Boys 50 Yard Free – 26.12 – 7th Place (of 33 competitors)
Boys 100 Yard Fly – 1:07.57 – 8th Place (of 15 competitors)
Hunt
Boys 50 Yard Free – 26.69 – eighth out of 33 competitors.
Boys 100 Yard Free – 58.49 – ninth out of 33 competitors.
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During the season, Cornejo and Hunt swam as Winfield Vikings and were part of relay teams.
For example, during the Emporia meet in January, Cornejo and Hunt were part of the 200-yard free relay team that finished with a 1:55.08 time, good enough for second place.
In the 400-meter relay, Wellington placed first with a 4:10.04 time. A relay team in swimming consists of four swimmers.
