Bullfrogs make a splash: Boys stay perfect, girls battle hard in final league tune-up

LINDEN – With one final meet before the Mother Lode League championship, the Bret Harte High School swim team made the most of their last opportunity to improve their times.

For the first time since 2018, the Bullfrogs competed in Linden’s pool with the Lions as fellow members of the Mother Lode League. Bret Harte’s boys remained undefeated in league competition with a 76-38 win, while the Lady Bullfrogs came up just short, falling 88-78.

The win for Bret Harte’s boys positions them to potentially capture their first Mother Lode League championship in a decade. For the last 10 years, the title has belonged to the Sonora Wildcats. Now, with Sonora no longer in the league, the Bullfrogs are just one strong performance away from earning their first championship since 2015.

“It’s definitely one of the best things,” Bret Harte senior Simon Akers said. “We haven’t won the league championship since 2015 and to finally be able to win it again is just something that the pool has been needing. It definitely will hopefully create a little more hype too for Bret Hart. It’s definitely going to be a really, really great thing.”

Bret Harte’s boys’ team isn’t large in numbers. With just seven swimmers on the roster, they are often called upon to compete in multiple events that vary from meet to meet. Head coach Katlyn Rugo credits the team’s unselfishness and willingness to step up as a major factor in their success.

“They’re all super motivated, committed to the team, and doing what they have to do to win by swimming the events that they need to swim, even if they’re not their favorite,” Rugo said. “They are just doing what they have to do to win. They really wanted this, this year for sure.”

For the second straight meet, the Lady Bullfrogs lost by a narrow margin. In its first matchup with Linden, Bret Harte secured an 86-52 victory. However, in the rematch, the team was missing several key swimmers due to prior commitments. Despite the back-to-back losses, Rugo remains confident in her girls heading into the league championship.

“They’re still excited, and they’re still looking forward to league,” Rugo said. “We knew it was happening today with losing everybody for FFA (Future Farmers of America), which is almost half of our girls. So, we knew that. So, just having all of the team together and healthy at the same time is really important in swimming.”

Bret Harte will host the Mother Lode League championship meet on April 25 in Angels Camp. The start time has been moved from 4 p.m. to 1 p.m.

“I’m excited to host the league meet,” Rugo said. “We look forward to having all the teams in our league there and finishing out the season strong for them. And then, moving onto sections for Silas (Langdon).”

Boys (6-0 MLL)

In the 200-yard medley relay, the team of Jesus Moncada, Akers, Marion Scott, and Langdon took first place with a time of 2:05.96. Langdon also captured first place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.56, while teammate Ryder Pavan finished third at 2:45.68.

In the 200-yard individual medley, Scott secured first with a time of 2:39.97. Joshua Robinson earned a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in at 30.22. In the 100-yard butterfly, Akers placed first in 1:04.62, and Moncada followed with a third-place finish at 1:23.89.

Langdon added another win with a first-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (53.63), while Robinson placed second with a time of 1:10.04. In the 500-yard freestyle, Akers swam to first in 6:24.11, and Scott placed second in 7:05.78.

Langdon, Akers, Scott, and Moncada returned to the pool for the 200-yard freestyle relay, where they claimed first with a time of 1:52.96.

In the 100-yard backstroke, Pavan finished second in 1:26.18. Moncada wrapped up the boys’ individual events with a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall at 1:26.92.

Girls (3-3 MLL)

In the 200-yard medley relay, Bret Harte’s team of Reese Roeder, Annie Farris, Carnegie Hall, and Ayanda White placed second with a time of 2:24.64.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Kadence Maness placed third (2:47.21), Zoe Fuqua finished fourth (2:50.61), and Skye Johnson came in fifth (3:02.69). Farris won the 200-yard individual medley in 3:01.27, with White finishing second in 3:15.93.

Madelyn Freer placed second in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 32.01, followed closely by Maness in third (32.83) and Fuqua in fourth (35.34). In the 100-yard butterfly, Roeder took second with a time of 1:23.12, and Hall finished fourth at 1:39.43.

White earned a win in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing in 1:12.70, while Johnson placed third at 1:24.90. In the 400-yard freestyle, Freer overcame losing her cap in the final laps to take first with a time of 7:17.85. Sierra Johnson finished fourth in 7:58.40.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Maness, Hall, Freer, and Fuqua earned a first-place finish in 2:11.24. Roeder won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:10.35, and Sierra Johnson placed fifth (1:41.84). In the 100-yard breaststroke, Farris placed second (1:32.98), and Hall took fifth (1:44.65).

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of Maness, Fuqua, Sierra Johnson, and Skye Johnson placed second with a time of 4:46.65. The team of Roeder, Farris, White, and Freer placed third in 5:25.77.

For more pictures from Bret Harte swimming at Linden, click the link below.
https://calaverasenterprise.smugmug.com/2025-4-16-Bret-Harte-Swimming-at-Linden
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Bret Harte at Linden (boys)
Bret Harte 76, Linden 38
Linden High School, Linden

First-place finishers
200 MR – Jesus Moncada, Marion Scott, Simon Akers, Silas Langdon, 2:05.96
200 freestyle – Langdon, 2:02.56
200 IM – Scott, 2:39.97
50 freestyle – Joshua Robinson, 30.22
100 butterfly – Akers, 1:04.62
100 freestyle – Langdon, 53.63
500 freestyle – Akers, 6:24.11
200 relay – Langdon, Akers, Scott, Moncada, 1:52.96
100 backstroke – Linden, 1:16.90
100 breaststroke – Moncada, 1:26.92
400 relay – No scores

Bret Harte Swimming 2025 (Boys)
March 5 vs. Calaveras (W) 58-26
March 12 at Summerville (W) 81-53
March 26 vs. Linden (W) 76-51
April 9 at Calaveras (W) 77-46
April 11 vs. Summerville (W) 82-39
April 16 at Linden (W) 76-38
April 25 at MLL finals, 1 p.m.

Mother Lode League Standings (Boys)
Bret Harte 6-0 (6 pt)
Summerville 3-2 (3 pts)
Linden 1-5 (1 pts)
Calaveras 1-4 (1 pts)

Bret Harte at Linden (Girls)
Linden 88, Bret Harte 78
Linden High School, Linden

First-place finishers
200 MR – Linden, 2:17.41
200 freestyle – Linden, 2:44.63
200 IM – Annie Farris, 3:01.27
50 freestyle – Linden, 30.52
100 butterfly – Linden, 1:18.55
100 freestyle – Ayanda White, 1:12.70
500 freestyle – Madelyn Freer, 7:17.85
200 relay – Kadence Maness, Carnegie Hall, Madelyn Freer, Zoe Fuqua, 2:11.24
100 backstroke – Reese Roeder, 1:10.35
100 breaststroke – Linden, 1:26.95
400 relay – Linden, 4:43.13

Bret Harte Swimming 2025 (Girls)
March 5 vs. Calaveras (W) 119-39
March 12 at Summerville (L) 104-66
March 26 vs. Linden (W) 86-52
April 9 at Calaveras (W) 109-58
April 11 vs. Summerville (L) 89-81
April 16 at Linden (L) 88-78
April 25 at MLL finals, 1 p.m.

Mother Lode League Standings (Girls)
Summerville 5-0 (5 pts)
Bret Harte 3-3 (3 pts)
Linden 3-3 (3 pts)
Calaveras 0-5 (0 pts)