By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

MESA — After one of her races in Friday in the prelims of the Division 1 state swim meet, Kaylee Woodruff seemed pleased, yet focused.

“It went well,” she said. “I won my heat.”

O’Connor junior Kaylee Woodruff, right, smiles Saturday on the awards podium at the Division 1 state swim meet in Mesa, alongside 100- and 50-yard freestyle champion Delaney Barbee of Boulder Creek. Woodruff placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and was third in the 100 in Saturday’s finals.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

That was Heat 3, amid the four qualifying heats in the 50-yard freestyle. The O’Connor junior ended up placing second in the 50 freestyle final and was third in the 100 freestyle Saturday in the championships, held at Skyline High School.

Woodruff placed second in the 50 freestyle as a sophomore last year, with her time of 23.89 seconds being about a half-second behind winner and then-senior Sophia Jahn of Red Mountain.

Woodruff also placed seventh in the 100 freestyle at state.
This year, Woodruff headed to state with the second-best seed time in both the 50 and the 100, with sophomore Delaney Barbee of Boulder Creek the only one faster.

That’s how the finals ended up, with Barbee easily winning both events Saturday. Woodruff was about 1 second behind Barbee in the 50 final. Both Barbee and Emilie Griffin of Mountain View finishing ahead of Woodruff in the 100 final.

Barbee was invited to this summer’s U.S. Olympic trials as a 15-year-old.

Woodruff was among a handful of O’Connor state qualifiers each of the past two seasons. She helped the Eagle girls place 12th in Division 1 at last year’s meet; this year, both the O’Connor girls and boys placed 18th.

Millennium

The Tiger boys, buoyed by strong relay performances, placed third in Division 1 behind Brophy College Prep and Pinnacle.

The highlight of the meet for the Tigers was probably their state championship in the medley relay. Millennium appeared to finish a very close second behind favorite and top-seed Arizona College Prep, but the Knights were disqualified, handing the title to the Tigers.

The medley team of Ewan Cain, Joel Arnold, Marcos Bravo and Cole Faut swam a time of 1 minute, 35 seconds.

The Tigers also racked up points by placing fifth in both the 200 and the 400-yard relays.

Faut also placed third in the 50-yard freestyle and was fourth in the 100 freestyle. Bravo took third in the 100 breaststroke sixth in the 100 butterfly.

Zac Clark placed third in the 200 freestyle and was seventh in the 500 freestyle for the Tiger boys.

Cain was sixth in the 100 backstroke and seventh in the 200 individual medley.

The Millennium girls placed 20th with 56 points. Libby Miller placed ninth in the 500 freestyle.

Liberty

The Liberty boys were led by Aydan Prassas, who was fifth in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 100 backstroke.

The Liberty boys placed 13th in Division 1 with 86 points.

Ezekiel Raybourn won the 1-meter diving state title for Liberty.
The Lions’ medley relay team placed 13th.

The Liberty girls placed 27th with 23.5 points. Faith Stevenson reached the consolation finals of the 50 freestyle.

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The Millennium boys medley relay team poses for photos on the medal podium Saturday at the Division 1 state swim meet in Mesa. The squad was handed the state championship after Arizona College Prep’s team was disqualified. The Tigers placed third in Division 1 as a team.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

Liberty’s Ayden Prassas placed among the top seven in two events Saturday at the Division 1 state swim meet in Mesa.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.