Sports briefs: DHS swimming puts the area on notice

The Davis High swimming teams opened the season at Saturday’s Jesuit Invitational, taking second place combined and getting a meet victory for the girls squad against some of the best competition the Sacramento area has to offer. The Blue Devils were fourth in the boys standings.

The DHS girls were paced by double wins from Tara Halsted and Alex Rieger, each of whom also helped the Devils take first place in all three of the relays.

Halsted captured the 100 butterfly (58.35) and the 200 freestyle (1:52.69) then joined Rieger, Emma Barksdale and Kathleen Benjamin to get a victory in the 200 medley relay.

Rieger — who touched first in the 50 (24.04) and 100 free (52.29) and second in the 100 backstroke — and Barksdale then teamed up with Heather Johnson and Chloe Devine to earn wins in the 200 and 400 free relay races.

Devine added a victory in the 500 free (5:02.54) and took second to Halsted in the 200 free, while Barksdale was the second-place finisher in the 200 individual medley.

Matt Whittle and Jonathan Pun had event wins to highlight the Davis boys’ outing, as Whittle’s victory in the 200 IM (1:57.08) was augmented by a fourth-place finish in the 100 back and a fifth-place ranking in the 100 fly. Pun captured the 100 breaststroke (58.53), while teaming with Whittle, Riley Hickman and Wyatt Millstone to post third-place finishes for the Blue Devils in all three relay events.

Hickman’s day also included taking second in the 50 free, third in the 200 free and fifth in the 100 free.

The DHS boys and girls begin league competition on Wednesday with their home opener at Arroyo Pool. The Devil squads will take on Franklin at 4 p.m.

Nelson heads to D-III meet

Former Blue Devil standout Derek Nelson is part of North Central College’s 4×400 relay squad that qualified in ninth place (3:18.87) for this weekend’s NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships.

The fourth-ranked Cardinals, who are gunning for their fourth consecutive team title, will host the event at their Al B. Carius Track. The 4×400 race is set for 4:05 p.m. on Saturday.

City softball

Registration for the city of Davis spring softball leagues is now open

Signups are first-come, first-served, and will close Friday, March 15, or earlier if the leagues fill. League play begins Monday, April 1. Fees for the nine-game season are $510 per men’s team and $471 per coed team. Each team also must pay a $20 fee for ASA registration.

For league nights and more information, contact Lori Conrad at 530-753-7731 or lconrad@cityofdavis.org. Information is also available at www.cityofdavis.org.