Heatwave swimmers vie in club championships

Jared Smith, Alex Hubel and Sammy Sauerbrei won events as the Boulder City/Henderson Heatwave Swim Club finished seventh overall among 77 teams in the combined competition at the recent Southern California Swim Club Championships.

The Heatwave amassed 1,103.5 points to place seventh behind champion Irvine Novaquatic’s 2,823 points at Monterey Park, Calif.

Hubel led the Heatwave girls to a seventh-place finish in the girls competition with 615.5 points to leader Rose Bowl Aquatics’ 1,424.5 points. Smith and Sauerbrei led the boys to a ninth-place finish in their competition with 488 points to champion Irvine Novaquatics’ 1,407 points.

Smith won the 500-yard freestyle (4:32.13) and the 200-yard backstroke (1:46.4) in the boys 15-18 age group. He also was second in the 100-yard backstroke (51.01) and second in the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.11).

In the girls 15-18 age group, Hubel won the 100-yard freestyle in 50.44, and was third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:50.5), third in the 200-yard butterfly (2:01.87) and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (24.11).

Sauerbrei teamed with Liam Wetzel, Jake Chir and Michael Velazquez to dominate the 800-yard freestyle relay (6:47.28) in the boys 15-18 age group competition. Sauerbrei also was fifth in the 200-yard butterfly (1:52.4).

The Boulder City/Henderson Heatwave is an amateur swim club with more than 500 swimmers on its roster.

Rachael Grothe finished fifth (56.07) in the 100-yard butterfly in the girls 15-18 competition. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Heatwave placed fourth (1:39.08) behind Grothe, Jessica Purdy and two Henderson swimmers.

In the girls 13-14 age group, Abby Sauerbrei placed third in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:47.78) and Mandy Gebhart was fourth (17:48.78). Sauerbrei placed eighth in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:38.6. Gebhart teamed with three Henderson swimmers as the Heatwave placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:40.23).

Joey Gebhart placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (51.27) in the boys 15-18 age group, sixth (46.83) in the 100-yard freestyle and was fifth in the 100-yard backstroke (52.09). He teamed with Connor Smith, Wetzel and Chir as the Heatwave placed second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:25.94).

In the girls 5-10 age group, Morgan Brophy, 10, swam 27.75 to win the 50-yard freestyle. She was third in the 50-yard backstroke, fifth in the 100-yard backstroke, fifth in the 200-yard butterfly, sixth in the 100-yard freestyle and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle.