Belen's competitive youth summer club isn't the biggest group in the Sundance Aquatic Association, so it doesn't score as many points as bigger clubs. But for one triumphant moment at Saturday's season-ending 2010 Sundance league finals, the Belen Hurricanes might have had the most excited relay team in the league.

The boys age 13-14, 200-yard freestyle relay team of Colton Lewis, Cody Thompson, Emmanuel Chavez, Roman Prevot placed third, edging a Tanoan Country Club squad by about one second. The team helped Belen place 10th overall at the West Mesa Aquatic Center meet.

Belen finished with 653 points, nearly 200 more than last year.

"It was amazing, and the boys' energy after the race was sky-high," said the Hurricanes' second-year head coach, Andi Montaño. "It was probably the most exciting moment of the day. We made a last minute change to the order of the relay. Colton, Cody and Emmanuel all swam a 28-split on their legs, with Roman clocking in at 27, and it was especially exciting to have beat out one of the 'big three' Albuquerque teams for a medal."

The moment was one of many exciting developments for the Hurricanes, whose base is young, but now has a couple of seasons of championship swimming under its belt. Led by some surprisingly strong performances, the 'Canes showed reasons why many of the swimmers might continue the sport late into their teen years.

"Many of our boys are at the top of their age group, so will move up to an older age group next year," said Montaño, who earlier called the 2010 "The Year of the Boys" for the Hurricanes. "We hope our success this year sparked some excitement and that our older swimmers will continue to return for another year. Perhaps it will be the year of the girls next year."

The Hurricane boys got two second-place performances: from Kade Benavidez in the 8-and-Under 25 butterfly, and from Anthony Trujillo in the 11-and-12, 50-yard backstroke.

"That was (another) one of the most exciting races of the day," said Montaño. "Especially since it is Anthony's first year. Kade also swam his heart out on his butterfly, and cut three seconds."

Other individual Hurricane boys to place in the top six at the 8-and-under level were Benavidez in the 8-and-under 25 freestyle and Brady Peters in the 25 breaststroke. Ezekiel Jaramillo was excited to be a last-minute replacement on the 8-and-under, 100-yard freestyle relay team, which was sixth with Jaramillo, Peters, Benavidez and Aidan Lopez. The same four swimmers placed fifth as a medley relay team.

For the 9-and-10s, Zachary Jaramillo was fifth in the 25 freestyle, while Reece Menchaca was sixth in the 25 backstroke. Those two joined Diego Casillas and Alee Epley in bringing home fifth in both the 100 freestyle relay and the medley.

At the 11-and-12 level, Trujillo's effort in the backstroke was the main highlight. The relay jubilation for the 13-14 free relay team was accompanied by a fourth-place effort by Prevot in the 50 freestyle. The relay crew of Lewis, Chavez, Prevot and Andrew Brads was fifth.

For the girls, there weren't as many high placers, but still some standout performances.

For the 8-and-under group, the 100 freestyle relay quartet of Ashlee Olsen, Marisol Olivas, Janelle Trujillo and Marissa Menchaca was sixth.

At the 13-and-14 level, butterfly swimmer Jolene Martinez was fifth, and the 200 freestyle relay squad of Martinez, Hailey Giles, Maggie Baca and Katee Lucero placed sixth.

"That group of girls has swam together for a number of years, and earning a sixth place finish in the free relay was the highest I think they have ever finished," said Montaño. "I am very proud of them."

Montaño said she plans to coach again next summer, and hopes assistant coaches Jerel Garcia and Anna Sedillo return as well.

"Each of them brings a lot to the team and we wouldn't be as successful without them," she said.