Centennial swimmer thrives on speed

When high school swimmers head north to the Albuquerque Academy Natatorium for the state swimming championships, it’s often athletes from that part of the state who excel. The Las Cruces area hasn’t traditionally been a hotbed of swimming success, but Centennial High junior Dara Ayala is a notable exception.

After finishing third in the girls 100 a year ago, Ayala broke through in 2026, claiming gold in the 50 and finishing second in the 100. She was the lone gold medalist from Las Cruces, where participation numbers remain so small that all four high school teams train together.

“We’re a pretty tight-knit group, cheering for each other no matter what,” Ayala said. “All the schools in Las Cruces are really there for each other because there aren’t a lot of swimmers.”

At the state championships, Ayala isn’t deeply familiar with much of her top competition. Outside of a handful of meets each year, she mostly races swimmers from the southern part of the state. Up north, the teams are larger and the competition deeper.

“There’s going to be a lot of fast kids in Albuquerque compared to down here,” Ayala said, “but it’s fun going and competing against them.”

She does see that level of competition on her club team and regularly faces strong swimmers from El Paso. Because club and high school seasons overlap, Ayala trains with Centennial just one day a week, on Fridays.

Ayala began swimming at age eight, following her older brother into the pool — a decision that turned out to be a good one. During middle school, she stepped away for a couple of years to try volleyball, but the pull of the pool proved too strong. When she arrived at Centennial, she picked up right where she left off.

Speed defines everything Ayala does in sports. In addition to swimming, she competes in track and field as a sprinter, thriving in short, explosive events.

“It’s the adrenaline I get,” she said. “I really like winning, and when the hard work pays off, that’s a feeling you can’t really describe.”

Centennial head coach Ava Wofford said Ayala’s energy is contagious. In every sense, she’s a leader, and her enthusiasm rubs off on her teammates.

“She’s super energetic,” Wofford said. “Even on the bus, she keeps everyone happy and excited. In the water, she’s outstanding — her flip turns are awesome. You’ll see everyone swimming at about the same speed, then she hits that wall, flip turns, and suddenly she’s ahead. She comes into practice expecting to do well, push herself and still have fun.”

Ayala said she prefers swimming from the front, making it no surprise that she leads just as naturally outside the pool. She hopes to swim at the collegiate level — preferably somewhere with cold weather.

For Ayala, winning matters more than the clock. Her gold-medal time in the 50 freestyle, 25.05 seconds, was actually slower than her third-place finish the year before. Still, she continues to chase strength and improvement — fueled by speed and the adrenaline that comes with it.