Maricopa High School junior Nolan Ford dramatically exceeded his state ranking Friday to take second place at the Division 1 Swimming Championships.
Competing in the boys’ 50-yard freestyle, Ford was ranked 14th but knocked more than a second off his qualifying time to finish behind only Boulder Creek’s Rick Popper in the state competition at Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa.
“From 14th to second, phenomenal swim,” said coach Laura Logan. “I’ll be honest; I wasn’t surprised. We worked hard the last week to clean up some details.”
It is the first state medal earned by an MHS swimmer in only the third year of the program.
“He’s a great kid to work with,” Logan said about Ford. “He listens, he’s eager and is becoming a student of the sport.”
MHS also sent a girls’ relay team to the state meet. Ranked 24th, the team of MacKenzie Fair, Sophia Occhiine, Dorianne Hames and Katelyn Owens indeed finished 24th in 4:07.88.
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