Maya DiRado, a Maria Carrillo graduate, qualified for the world championship swim meet next month in Barcelona by placing second Tuesday in the 200-meter butterfly final at the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships & World Championship Trials in Indianapolis.
"It's just great," said DiRado in a phone interview. "It just takes away the pressure and I just have to try to swim fast now. I don't have to worry about qualifying (for the worlds)."
According to DiRado, her second place finish wouldn't have been enough to qualify for the world championships. Usually, the top-two finishers in the U.S. Championships qualify for the worlds, but DiRado said the U.S. national team requires the place and International Swimming Federation qualifying time to make the American squad.
Her time in the 200 butterfly was 2:09.12, which was just .18 seconds faster than the world championship qualifying time of 2:09.30, and two seconds faster than her Tuesday morning prelim time.
"I got the cut for this meet a month ago," she said. "I haven't done it in two years, and I dropped four seconds in the past month, so it's very surprising."
The 2010 Press Democrat Female Large School Athlete of the Year, DiRado isn't finished competing at nationals. She will swim in the 200 and 400 freestyle along with the 200 and 400 individual medleys.
DiRado's fellow Empire swimmer, Santa Rosa High School graduate Molly Hannis, begins her schedule of events at Indianapolis today. Swimming for the University of Tennessee, Hannis will be in the pool this morning for the 200 breaststroke, with the final later in the day.
Hannis also is scheduled to compete Thursday in the 50 breaststroke and Friday in the 100 breaststroke.
EASTON ELITE MAKES
SOFTBALL NATIONALS
The Easton Elite A-level travel softball team has qualified to compete next month in the 2013 ASA/USA Softball Gold national championship tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
The Easton Elite team is made up of players from Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties and features many of the top players from the recently completed high school softball season.
The team earned the trip to Clearwater by winning twice this past weekend at a territorial qualifying tournament in Stockton. Dana Thomsen of Petaluma High School pitched a three-hitter in the first game, a 2-0 victory against the Concord Lady Wolfpack.
In the second game, Thomsen combined with Denia Vera of Santa Rosa High School to pitch the Easton team to a 4-3 win in eight innings against the Oregon Blaze.
Easton Elite was one of six teams to qualify at Stockton for the trip to Clearwater.
GIRLS HOOPS EVENT
AT WINDSOR HIGH
Sixteen varsity girls basketball teams and eight junior varsities have committed to participate this weekend in the 5th Sonoma County shootout tournament at Windsor High School.
Games begin Friday. The varsity field comprises teams from Analy, Casa Grande, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Justin-Siena, Maria Carrillo, Marin Catholic, Montgomery, Novato, Red Wood, San Marin, Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley, St. Vincent, Ukiah and Windsor.
Daily admission is $5, $3 for students/seniors and no charge for children under 12. Proceeds benefit the Windsor girls basketball program and the Windsor High School Boosters.
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