STAFF REPORTS
AUSTIN — Several Metro-area athletes showed improvement Saturday on the final day of the 2016 UIL state swimming & diving meet.
Lopez’s Thadey Diaz (1-meter diving) had a much better day on the board, increasing her point total by nearly 80 points from Friday’s total. Diaz scored 271.30 on her eight dives Saturday, including three that are her best dives and are a higher degree of difficulty, and finished 15th.
Los Fresnos’ Ivana Besteiro finished her final season by cutting 15 tenths of a second off her 50-yard freestyle (25.60).
Besteiro always helped the Lady Falcons’ 200 freestyle relay improve on the second day. Along with Andrea Moreno, Kendall House and Sarah Villarreal, they finished in 1:47.49 and shaved 39 tenths of a second from Friday’s prelims.
Jonathan Ashford of Brownsville Veterans Memorial also had an improvement in the 100 breaststroke. The senior swam his race in 1:01.09, .61 of a second better in his final event for the Chargers.
Hanna’s Maya Athena Imperial shaved some time off her preliminary run in the 500 freestyle. Imperial swam the event in 5:28.58, 10 tenths of a second faster Saturday.
Stephanie Castillo of Rivera was slightly slower in her final chance in the 100 freestyle. She finished at 57.50, 44 tenths of a second slower in her first state meet. But the junior will surely have a chance next year to return and improve her time.