'Never lets up': Fossil Ridge swimmer Ella Gaca-Thiele races to two Class 5A state titles
THORNTON — Ella Gaca-Thiele understands the tradition for the Fossil Ridge girls swimming program.
For the past decade-plus, the SaberCats have usually featured Colorado greats like Lucy Bell, Zoe Bartel or Renee and Colleen Gillilan.
"They left such big shoes to fill," Gaca-Thiele said. "And some goals to chase."
The Fossil sophomore may officially be next up, winning a pair of Class 5A state titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races Friday night at the Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center.
Gaca-Thiele led nearly wire-to-wire in both wins.
She sprinted to the 50 free title in just 22.98 seconds, beating the silver (Regis Jesuit's Charlotte Burnham) and bronze (Fairview's Amelia Mason) finishers by less than 0.1 seconds in a bang-bang finish.
She didn't wait long for a follow-up.
Just thirty minutes later, Gaca-Thiele fought off a tight field in the 100 free with a blistering final turn to win with a time of 50.02 seconds.
"Ella just jumps out quick and never lets up," said first-year Fossil coach Krista Nero. "That's her style."
The second-year SaberCat almost flipped that early-start script in a wild 200 free relay finish.
Gaca-Thiele nearly made up a 1.5-second deficit as the anchor leg, clocking a 50-yard time of 22.56 (better than her standalone 50 title) as Fossil fell by a mere .04 seconds to winner Cherry Creek.
"Just .04!" she only half-lamented with her relay teammates while awaiting their runner-up spot on the podium.
"I saw (Cherry Creek) out in front and just went as hard as I could after them," she added after the meet. "We wanted that one."
With two individual wins plus second and fifth in the 200/400 free relays, it was a remarkable meet for the freestyle standout, who won Fossil's first state titles in two years after a rare shutout last winter.
The previous SaberCats' winner? That was Bell, who broke U.S. Olympics star Missy Franklin's 200 individual medley record time and also won the 100 free in 2022.
It's fitting because the sophomore is following a similar trajectory. For example, both state-title times were good enough for All-American honors.
"I'm really happy to even be mentioned in that (company)," Gaca-Thiele said. "It hasn't really set in yet, but it's so cool to be a state champ."
Fossil Ridge placed fifth overall with 229.5 points, a marked improvement from last year's 11th-place finish, the program's lowest since 2009.
The SaberCats' outlook is sunnier after this strong state showing.
Gracie Thornton (also a sophomore) took third in the 100 butterfly and had another top-10 finish in the 100 back. Freshman Paige Nguyen and junior Madison Arnold also swam key legs in the relays.
"I’m happy we got back up to fifth," Nero said. "It’s a step back toward our goals for this team."
Overall, the SaberCats should return six of the eight swimmers who tallied points at this state meet. Even diver Sydney Ovesen, who won the 5A one-meter diving title Wednesday, is just a junior.
"I'm so proud of our team, and we're still young," Gaca-Thiele said. "So we'll get them next year."
It all starts with the sophomore, a longtime standout for Fort Collins' FAST swimming who keeps living up to that club name.
"Ella is going to be so fun to watch these next two years," Nero said.
Wellington's Monajjem also brings home gold
Wellington girls swimmer Cody Monajjem added to the local hardware haul!
The sophomore Eagles' standout roared out to a big lead in the Class 3A 200-yard freestyle and cruised home for a state championship in 1 minute, 52.69 seconds on Saturday at the VMAC.
She followed that up with a runner-up finish in the 100 backstroke.
Monajjem has already had a prolific young career, finishing second or better in three of the four individual state swims in her first two seasons.
She took silver in both events last year, but she wouldn't be denied this time.
Monajjem also swam anchor on Wellington's 400 free relay final team with Sarah Hughes, Josie Staples and Izabella Bartling. The unit set a new personal record time.
Liberty Common freshman storms to state title
There was another local 3A state champion, and she's just a freshman.
Liberty Common's Josie Stahl roared to a 100 breaststroke title with a time of 1:05.46 - just .2 off the 3A state record!
She's the first Liberty Common freshman to win a swimming state title
Stahl also took bronze in the 200 IM and swam on top-5 relay units with Addison Jones, Abby Daharsh, Quinn Barr and Cora Jorgenson in the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Rocky Mountain earns top-10 finish
The Lobos took home 10th place, 11 spots better in the team standings than their finish last season.
Freshman Abby Lehmkuhler led the way with a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. She also placed seventh in the 200 individual medley, one of Rocky's five top-10 finishes.
Here are some of the top finishes from local swimmers at the 5A state meet:
Fossil Ridge (5th, 229.5 points)
Ella Gaca-Thiele: 1st (50 freestyle), 1st (100 free), 2nd (200 free relay), 5th (400 free relay)
Gracie Thornton: 2nd (200 free relay), 3rd (100 fly), 5th (400 free relay), 10th (100 back)
Elsa Fullerton: 5th (400 free relay), 10th (200 free), 13th (500 free),
Madison Arnold: 2nd (200 free relay), 5th (400 free relay), 14th (200 free), 14th (500 free)
Paige Nguyen: 2nd (200 free relay), 5th (400 free relay), 13th (50 free)
Sydney Ovesen: 1st (1-mtr diving)
Rocky Mountain (10th, 143 points)
Abby Lehmkuhler: 2nd (100 breaststroke), 7th (200 IM), 9th (200 medley relay), 14th (400 free relay)
Mollie Gorman: 6th (100 breaststroke), 9th (200 medley relay), 14th (400 free relay), 15th (200 free)
Teresa Collingwood: 9th (200 medley relay), 11th (200 IM), 12th (100 back), 14th (400 free relay)
Keolani Morrow: 9th (200 medley relay), 14th (400 free relay), 15th (100 fly)
Eva Lehmkuhler: 8th (500 free)
Fort Collins (23rd, 23 points)
Elle Gray: 4th (1-meter diving)
Addison West: 17th (200 free)
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: 5A state swimming: Fossil Ridge's Ella Gaca-Thiele dominates freestyle titles
