Swimmers set team records

Preston Hough, Katie Baier and Melisa Hough broke five Tuolumne County Aquatics-Sonora Sport and Fitness team records in the Lodi Last-Chance Qualifier at Tokay High School.

The meet was a qualifier for the Junior Olympics next week in Redding. Swimmers need at least BB times in their events to participate.

Tackling the 1,500-meter freestyle for only the second time, Preston Hough, 13, had the swim of the meet with a 17-second improvement to 21 minutes, 12.18 seconds. He increased his pace in the second half of the race to break the team record he set in May in Fresno.

Hough also had best times in the 100 and 200 freestyles (1:10.07 and 2:32.11, respectively), the 100 breaststroke (1:41.95) and the 200 individual medley (3:01.20).

Baier, 16, broke two of her own records and had two other personal bests. One record came in the 50 free (29.06), in which she took two-tenths off her own record set in Fresno. She also dropped two seconds to eclipse her own mark in the 200 free (2:19.24).

Baier's other bests were in the 400 free (5:04.71) and the 100 breast (1:26.93).

Melisa Hough, 17, set team records in the 800 free (10:13.45) and the 200 breast (3:11.28). She dropped seven seconds in the former and two in the latter, and also had a personal best in the 50 free (30.34).

Scott Shield, Danny Scott and Courtney Paterson swam in their first long-course meet of the season and combined for four bests. Shield improved in the 200 breast (3:23.00, B time), Scott in the 200 IM (2:56.34) and 200 breast (3:07.45), and Paterson by five seconds in the 100 breast (1:46.31).