Local competitive swim team makes waves in The Colony
By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, July 23, 2009
With nearly four months of practice behind them, the Decatur Quest Aquatics competitive swim team had high expectations going into Long Course Meters Swimming Championship Meet in The Colony on Saturday. Consider the event a huge splash for a group of talented swimmers from throughout Wise County as dozens of spectacular times were recorded.
"I am thrilled with the success of the team. The kids have worked really hard all season and are now getting the rewards of their hard work," said coach Nancy Wendell, whose program is participating in more competitive events this year. "I look forward to the future of the team as we begin a new era getting to have several swimmers represent Quest Aquatics at the A meets."
The A time standard is what it takes for the kids to move up to compete with the fastest swimmers in the region. That was an accomplishment several Wise swimmers reached over the weekend.
The team took 13 swimmers to the BB Long Course Meters Swimming Championship Meet in The Colony. Most of the swimmers made personal best times in several events, and two swimmers posted times that move them up to the A classification.
Katey Rowden of Sunset had perhaps the best day as she finished in the top three of all of her events where she has now qualified for the A level. She took first place in the 50 backstroke with a time of 38.62 seconds (A time), while finishing second in both the 100 freestyle at 1:13.35 (A time) and the 50 freestyle at 32.89 (new A time).
Taylor Rector of Paradise also struck gold by finishing first in the 1,500 freestyle with a time of 25:50.73 and was sixth in the 200 breaststroke at 3:43.41. Caycee Holson of Alvord competed in the 100 backstroke where she clocked a 1:32.54 (new A time), while also posting a time of 3:20.44 in the 200 freestyle and a 37.89 in the 500 freestyle. She also landed an A time in the 50 backstroke where she stopped the clock at 42.34.
Haley Dennard of Decatur, a veteran of the program, notched an A time in the 50 freestyle where she posted a time of 31.70 seconds.
Jake Bryans of Boyd took fifth in the 100 backstroke after he clocked a 1:18.51 and later took sixth in the 200 backstroke at 2:50.97. Hayley Raasch of Decatur also had a good day as she captured third-place honors in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:53.21, while James Pittman of Boyd took the fifth spot in the 100 butterfly at 1:12.04.
There were a handful of swimmers that posted personal best times including Julie Hagen who clocked a 200 individual medley time of 3:15.88, while also finishing the 100 freestyle at 1:21.02 and the 100 backstroke at 1:31.43.
Jake Bryans of Boyd competed in the 100 freestyle where he recorded a 1:09.56, while Gabe Gillespie of Boyd posted a 3:07.80 in the 200 individual medley.
Katey Rowden of Sunset sizzled in the 50 butterfly where she recorded a 37.89 and a 1:42.05 in the 100 butterfly.
Raasch shined in the 200 individual medley with a time of 3:04.15, and Pittman came in at 1:04.03 in the 100 freestyle and at 29.35 in the 50 freestyle.
Grady Ivie of Decatur also hit a personal-best time in the 200 free with a time of 3:43.39 and a 42.35 in the 50 freestyle.
Taylor Ricks of Decatur kept the personal records going in the 200 free with a time of 3:26.51 and a 1:46.79 in the 100 backstroke.
Last, but not least, in a long list of personal-best times was Dosson Lewthwaite of Decatur in the 100 breaststroke where he clocked a 1:46.87, while Daniel Smyers of Decatur did the same in the 50 freestyle at 38.50 and again in the 200 freestyle at 3:29.81.
