By TIFFANY JEHOREK
Special to the Herald Times
MEEKER | Montrose hosted the final regular season, three-day, swim meet with the entire Meeker Marlin team in attendance for some fierce competition.
Addie Knowles posted best times in all of her swims.
“Something which is nearly unheard of this point in the season,” said coach Shelly Rogers. “Practices are long and hard, the team is tired as they are working harder and harder each practice, posting best times is hard with sore and tired muscles. It is common to have a couple seconds increase for each swim.”
Dexter Chinn, the youngest Marlin, continues to improve every meet posting more best times in Montrose then any of the other boys.
Every Marlin posted best times in a handful of swims in Montrose, including Tucker Chinn who not only posted a best time in the 25-yard backstroke, but broke the pool record for his age group.
Points are awarded to every place 16th and above, so every swim with the exception of one scored team points, placing Meeker 11th overall with 557 points, just behind the 10th place Craig Sea Sharks who scored 765 points with more than twice as many swimmers on their team as Meeker.
The Marlins are preparing for the Western Slope Championships in Grand Junction, Colo., July 13-15 and the final meet of the year, the seasonal state championships in Colorado Springs Aug. 3-5. The final meets for the year have time requirements specific to each swim to qualify for competition in the meet. Judd Harvey and Tucker Chinn both swam the 500-yard freestyle for the first time in Montrose, both qualifed for the Western Slope finals and the seasonal state championship, their first time for that race off of the blocks.
On meet days, only a certain number of races are permitted by each competitor, the longer three day meets have afforded the Marlins opportunities to swim new races, including Kate Lockwood who only swam one race less then 100 yards and is expanding her backstroke; and Joe McKay who is growing in versatility and swims each stroke competitively. Hailey Knowles, “Queen of the Butterfly,” as she is called by teammate Judd Harvey, swam strong in all of her races, and her butterfly stroke is strong enough that she is very competitive with the year-round swimmers.
There are three weeks between the final two meets of the year. During that time the Marlins will focus on strength and perfecting their stroke, starts, and turns. Next meet, Western Slope Championships July 13-15.
