STAFF REPORT
McAllen High senior Shaine Casas set a new UIL Class 6A state swimming record on Friday in a preliminary heat of the 100-yard backstroke.
The Texas A&M commit posted a time of 47.16 seconds in Friday’s prelim, earning him a trip to the finals Saturday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin.
Casas hadn’t competed in the backstroke at the state level since his sophomore season, when he finished with a time of 49.42 to earn a bronze medal. Coming into this year’s state meet, he held the second-fastest qualifying time at 47.52.
Casas qualified second overall in his other individual event, the 100 butterfly, with a time of 47.31.
The boys 200 medley relay team from McAllen High, which is headed up by Casas, qualified in fifth place with a time of 1:34.26. McHi’s boys 200 freestyle relay team, also featuring Casas, failed to qualify, finishing in 19th place.
In Class 5A, Sharyland High’s Luciano Farias-Ramirez qualified for Saturday’s state final in the 100 butterfly, checking in fourth at 50.91. He also claimed the eighth spot in the 100 backstroke final with a swim of 51.36. Adrian Fierro of Brownsville Veterans advanced in both the 50 freestyle, in 15th with a time of 21.80, as well as the 100 freestyle where he finished eighth with a time of 47.95. They were the only two 5A athletes from the Valley to advance to the state meet’s final day.