SWM: Valente qualifies first at CIF Prelims

Alex Valente of Dos Pueblos earned the No. 1 qualifying spot in the 100 butterfly at the CIF Division 1 swimming prelims on Thursday at Riverside Community College.

The Charger boys qualified for the finals in six events while the girls will be swimming in five championship finals on Saturday.

Valente also qualified in the 100 backstroke with a sixth-place finish.

Walker Bell will swim in the finals after taking 15th in the 200 IM and fourth in the 500 free. Blake Parrish made the finals in the 100 breast with a 12th-place finish in the prelims.

The DP 400 free relay team (Parrish, Bell, Federico Sarboraria and Valente) placed fifth.

Shannon Cleary made the finals in the 50 and 100 freestyle to lead the DP girls. Also qualifying were Maelyn Adornetto (12th in the 100 breast), the 200 medley relay team and 400 free relay team.

Dos Pueblos swimmers who are in the consolation finals are Reagan Eickert (21s in the 200 free, 22nd in the 500 free), Cassie Barkhorn (28th in 500 free), Nicole Berari (28th in the 100 fly) and Courtney Nuttall (26th in the 100 back).

The finals are on Saturday.