It’s just a matter of time.

Moffat County High School girls swimming is on the verge of qualifying for the 3A CHSAA State Championships, if the past weekend is any indication.

The Grand Junction Invitational Friday saw the MCHS 200-yard freestyle relay team trim make a huge cut in their results, as Alexa Neton, Jeni Kincher, Ellina Jones and Kelsey McDiffett placed seventh in the group race, hitting 1:58.85 and nearing the 1:56 mark.

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Coach Melany Neton said swimmers were nearly four seconds faster in the free relay from a week before.

“They are really motivated to get that state time,” she said.

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Individually, McDiffett placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke, within two seconds of state at 1:22.48. Her 10th place outcome in the 200 individual medley belied a cut of 2.12 seconds in the IM, now at 2:41.04 as she shoots for 2:36 or better.

Alexa Neton sped to ninth in the 200 free solo race, down this season nearly another three seconds at 2:27.66, also posting a 1:19.42 in the 100 backstroke. Likewise, Kincher hit seventh in the 100 free (1:06.68) and 12th in 100 breast (1:31.01), trimming times in each.

Jones was close behind McDiffett with 11th in the 200 IM (2:53.55) and Alexa Neton in the 100 back at 11th (1:20.19).

Though the varsity relay team didn’t post a time in the 200 medley relay, the secondary group of Mackenzie Anderson, Kate Lockwood, Anna Cooper and Sarah Johnson took eighth at 2:34.84. Among their best finishes each were Cooper 10th in 100 butterfly, Lockwood 11th in 100 breast, and Johnson and Anderson in 100 free and 200 free, respectively.

Elsewhere in the 200 free relay group, Cooper, Johnson, Anderson and Allison Jacobson earned 12th, while the team of Eliana Mack, Cristiann Reyes, Alexei Reyes and Grisel Moriel followed at 16.

In a competitive field for the 50 free, Mack led the team with 33rd.

On Saturday, MCHS hit the Southwest Conference Relay Meet, with a new order getting Kincher, Jones, McDiffett and Neton fifth place and a hair faster in the 200 free. The quartet of Neton, McDiffett, Cooper and Jones also saw sixth in the 200 medley to 2:19.09.

Though the race doesn’t feature state qualification, the 200 breaststroke relay also saw McDiffett, Lockwood, Johnson and Kincher excel with fifth at 2:44.59.

MCHS girls will next compete Dec. 20 in Montrose as their last event of 2019.