Solace McMillian prepares for the first heat.

Nosara’s swimming team, the Mantarayas (Manta Rays), visited the city of Santa Cruz for the second year in a row to participate in the “Guapaticos 2013” swimming championship the weekend of March 16 and 17.

The swim meet was organized for the third year by the Santa Cruz Swimming Association. The president of the association, Yasmin Mayorga Leal, said that this type of tournament is regional promotional and that this year they had teams participating from Liberia, Playa Brasilito, Nicoya, Santa Cruz and Nosara, with a total of 116 swimmers ranging in age from 5 to 17.

The team from Santa Cruz has some great swimmers among its ranks like Astrid Jimenez, gold medal winner in the National Games, and Silvia Castro and Sergio Ramos, participants in the Central American and Mexican Swimming Championship (CAMEX) of El Salvador representing our country.

The Nosara team participated with 14 swimmers from 5 to 13 years old competing with boys and girls of the same age and in superior categories. Honorable mention is deserved for Solace McMillian and Jorja Blumes, who, at 5 and 4 years old, made their first performances with the local team.  Others who stood out are Oceana and Skye McMillian, Selina and Silvan Von der Weid, Chiara Britschi,Tiffany Carrillo, Carter Blumes, Enric Gomez, Jose Ignacio Brenes, Sam Shook and many others.

The Nosara Mantarayas swim team is a nonprofit group supported by Del Mar Academy and financed with the help of local businesses and the parents of the swimmers. The team coaches are Hayley McMillian-Ord, Jane Marchant and Terry Blumes.

If you want to obtain information or collaborate with the team, contact: [email protected] or [email protected] or check: Facebook/Nosara-Manta-Ray-Swim-Club.