Community Champions: El Paso High School dominate in the pool to sweep regionals

EL PASO, Texas -- For the first time in the programs history, the El Paso Tigers swept the Regional 1-5A titles in the pool.

"I was loading the score over and over on my phone and then I saw that it was finalized and I started crying, I cried in my mums arms," El Paso high senior and swim team captain Zyenna Martinez said. "I was super happy being able to be one of the leaders and one of the captains that was able to win this regional title. It's indescribable." 

The Tigers efforts broke a streak of 11 straight wins from Lubbock High on the girls side and 7 on the boys side.

Head Coach Patrick Gailey told ABC-7 they knew they had a chance this season and it was the mission all along.

"It really takes the entire team being focused on it the entire the year which is really what this group of kids did," Gailey said. "The seniors led a really unique culture to just work hard every day and stay focused in this moment when you'd rather be playing and doing different things and it ended up paying off."

"It feels really good because it's always been like right there, it's always been Lubbock and then like us right under," Marcos Otero a senior on the El Paso high swim team said. "It felt really good to not only beat them but like really beat them."

The Tigers now set their sights on state which is set for Feb. 17th and 18th in Austin.

"The sky is the limit," Gailey said. "There are some great individual and relay opportunities for us a state. It's hard to say because there are a lot of great teams and it's a really tough meet to execute at but we're excited and we think we could even win this thing."

ABC-7 will continue to follow the Tigers progress.