Dolphins make splash up North
Staff Reports

ANTHEM – It’s been a big month for the Anthem Dolphins swim team, no matter its size.

The Dolphins recently took second in the third annual Dick Tomlin Memorial Invitational in Kingman even though they were one of the smallest teams in the meet.

The team finished second out of eight teams with a score of 503 points. They missed out of first‑place Kingman, the tournament’s host, by seven points. Kingman brought 76 swimmers to the meet, while Anthem only had 22 compete.

Several Dolphins returned home with trophies for outstanding individual performances. In the 9‑10 girls group, Alanah Avila took home a third‑place high‑point trophy. In the 11‑12 girls division, Cassie Badalamenti and Kristina Gill dominated with Cassie finishing first and Kristina right behind her in second.

In the 13‑14 girls group, Isabella Milazzo finished first, while Alicia Gill took third in the 15‑18 girls group.

For the Anthem boys, Brian Moore Jr. finished third in the 13‑14 age group, while Zach Birnbrich was the first‑place high‑point winner in the 15‑18 age class.

The Dolphins are made up of swimmers from Anthem, New River and Desert Hills. Boulder Creek High School swim coach Axel Birnbrich coaches the team. It trains year‑round at the Anthem Community Center, which also has a recreational team, the Aquabats, that trains and competes each May through July.