MEEKER | Five straight state championships would be enough for many programs to talk about trophies first.
For the Meeker Marlins, head coach Shelly Rogers would rather talk about culture.
As the Marlins returned to the water this past week (May 26) after the annual rec center shutdown (May 4–May 25) to continue their summer season, Rogers said the focus remains the same despite a growing trophy collection: improve individually, support teammates and continue building the program from the ground up.
“I don’t care if we win championships, I want to see them improve, but for me, team culture is really important,” Rogers said.
The Marlins entered the season after winning five consecutive Colorado summer swim state championships, establishing themselves as one of the premier summer programs in the state. But this year’s roster looks a little different.
The team returns a strong core of experienced swimmers while adding six brand-new athletes, most of them younger swimmers under the age of 10, giving the program a blend of veteran leadership and youthful excitement.
“We’ve got these strong kids, and they’re really helping bring up these kids who are super excited,” Rogers said. “They want to come to practice.”
The Marlins will also welcome back a familiar face this season. One swimmer who previously competed with Meeker during renovations to the Steamboat pool has chosen to return because of the team atmosphere, despite having other options closer to home.
“I think the fact that we’ve got a Steamboat swimmer who has a team they can swim with traveling to Meeker to swim, and the parents said, ‘Because we really like the culture of the team,’ says it all,” Rogers said.
While the program returns plenty of talent, it will also face a major change with standout swimmer Tucker Chinn competing as a year-round athlete through USA Swimming. Chinn, who broke multiple state records last season and earned Male Athlete of the Year honors, will focus on larger meets and tougher competition as he pursues collegiate swimming opportunities.
That means the Marlins lose a significant number of state points, but Rogers believes the foundation already exists for others to step forward.
“We’ve got a strong team, and we’ve got dedicated swimmers, as always,” she said.
The team will be led by returning swimmers Dexter Chinn, Sebastian Baumgart, Tristan Borchard, Tinlie Strate, Aerie Smuts and Evie Borchard.
The Marlins are already three meets into their summer season, giving the team an early look at its mix of returning experience and new talent. Rogers said those early competitions have helped reinforce the same message she emphasized on the first day of practice — continued improvement over results.
That dedication is already showing itself before the season has even fully begun.
Several older swimmers have voluntarily started arriving early for workouts, completing extra yardage before official practice begins. Rogers said eight swimmers have already been showing up at 7 a.m. — a half-hour before coaching begins — to complete workouts on their own.
“It’s internal motivation and dedication, and their own want to be better,” Rogers said. “That’s what makes this team a good team.”
That mentality has become part of the Marlins’ identity during their championship run. Rogers said older swimmers continue to mentor younger athletes, creating a culture where improvement matters as much as results.
“I just want them to individually improve,” Rogers said. “I don’t care what place they get, I just want them to improve their times and their technique.”
The season begins with a trip to Gunnison next weekend before the team shifts focus toward larger meets later in the summer, including Western Slope Championships and eventually state competition in Alamosa at the end of July.
And while Rogers consistently returns the conversation to culture over championships, she also knows what motivates swimmers when the season reaches its final days.
“They want another trophy,” Rogers said.
For a program that has spent half a decade collecting them, the pursuit of another title begins again — one practice, one swimmer and one race at a time.
