Matthew Badger is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to Cortez High School for AZPreps365.com.

AVONDALE -- The Cortez swim team suffered a narrow 114-102 loss to Tolleson Union on Thursday in a three-team meet at Avondale Aquatic Center. 

West Point could not post an official score with only a girls team.

The Colts won nine out of the 11 boys heats, including all three relays: the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle. The team’s 200 freestyle time of 1:52.01 is within the state qualifying standards.

“Today my focus was on relays,” coach Jeannete Pogue said. “I wanted to push more relays so we can focus on how many relays we can qualify for states. Next week, we’re going to focus on who can qualify for their individual events.”

Pogue was proud of the team’s performance overall.

“Lots of improvement today, lots of PRs,” she said. “Really beautiful swimming. They were swimming so well. Their strokes looked so much better today.”

One such swimmer was sophomore Christian Reyes, who swam the 500 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay.

“My favorite is the 500,” he said. “I like the distance, just being able to swim for a long period of time without stopping. The sprints are over quick and I like being in the water.”

Reyes credited his teammates for pushing him in the race, finishing with a time of 9:09.85.

“I wasn’t even thinking during my 500,” he said. “I heard three or four people screaming and I’m like, ‘I gotta go faster.’

“It really motivates you when your whole team is on your back,” he said.

Another swimmer who made improvements was Adrian Martinez Velasquez, who won all four of his races. He swam the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 400 freestyle relay.

“I did much better than last time,” he said. 

His time of 1:24.21 in the 100 backstroke is less than a second shy of the state qualifying time.

A junior from Venezuela, Martinez Velasquez was quickly able to find a home on the Cortez team.

“Coach Pogue one day asked, ‘You like swimming?’” he said. “I said yes, and now this is my second year swimming for the team.”

“My family is the reason I’m here in the United States and in competition,” he said. “They are my motivation.”

Pogue attributed the team’s faster times to hard work during practice.

“This week everybody was wearing rashguards so they were extra dragging in the water,” she said. “They were wearing shorts over their swim trunks, plus the extra shirts. We really increased our drag to slow us down, and it also helped us work on our form.”

Reyes also linked his success to practice.

“We do a pyramid, so we build it up 200, 400 and 600, and then we go back down,” he said. “And that’s just a warm-up.”

Cortez will host Sunnyslope and Thunderbird next Thursday at Cortez Park. 

Tolleson Union and West Point will also continue their season next Thursday; both are visiting Raymond S. Kellis at Peoria High School.

Both meets start at 4 p.m.