Sea Sharks heat up Rangely pool
Craig summer swimming team qualifies 15 swimmers for postseason
Bailey Kurz competes Saturday in the 100-meter freestyle during the Rangely Invite. Kurz was one of the 15 Sea Sharks swimmers who qualified for the summer swimming club postseason. Enlarge photo
June 12, 2008
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Results
Sea Sharks Western Slope championship meet qualifiers with event:
Bailey Kurz
100-free*, 50-back*, 50-breast
Jesse Kurz
100-free*, 50-back*, 50-breast
Erin Parrot
50-breast*, 50-free
Katherine Dodd
100-free, 100-breast, 200-IM, 200-free
Bekah Bird
50-back*, 50-breast*, 50-free
Spencer Turner
50-back*, 50-free
Josh Turner
25-breast, 25-free
Abbie Told
25-back, 25-free
Tanner Snyder
50-breast
Laurel Tegtman
50-fly*, 50-back*, 50-breast*, 50-free*
Colter Tegtman
50-fly*, 50-back*, 50-breast*, 50-free*#
Chris Kling
50-fly, 50-free, 50-back
Teagan Cordes
50-fly, 50-free, 50-back*
Colby Beckett
25-free*
Hannah Cordes
50-back*
* qualified for Summer Club championships
# qualified for Junior Olympics
Craig — When Ashleigh McDonald and Sara Kurz took over as coaches of the Craig Sea Sharks Summer Swimming Club team this year, they had no idea it would be like this.
Especially this early into the season.
The Sea Sharks captured 25 summer club postseason births Saturday and Sunday while competing in Rangely in the team’s first meet of the season.
“I’ve never seen this happen before,” McDonald said of so many swimmers qualifying this early into the season. “I swam as a Sea Shark and was assistant coach last year, and I’ve never seen it done so soon.”
The Sea Sharks blazed through the pool in the Western Rio Blanco Recreation Center, qualifying 15 swimmers for the Western Slope championships beginning Aug. 2 in Grand Junction.
Nine of the aforementioned 15 also qualified for the Summer Club championships beginning Aug. 9 in Cortez.
But, Colter Tegtman made the biggest splash in Rangely.
Tegtman won each of his four events: 50-meter butterfly, 50-backstroke, 50-breaststroke and the 50-freestyle, qualifying for the Summer Club championships in each.
His time of 28.28 seconds in the 50-free also qualified him for the Junior Olympics later this summer.
“He really stepped it up this weekend,” McDonald said. “To see him qualify this early for the Junior Olympics is really amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
McDonald and Kurz each swam as members of the Sea Sharks — McDonald for four years, Kurz for 10 — so they said it was a natural fit when they took over this season for the departed Meghan Francone.
“I really like swimming,” Kurz said. “I wouldn’t want the kids to have a coach that doesn’t want to be around them. We love what we are doing and for the kids to be this good, this early, is a welcome surprise.”
The team’s next meet is June 20 and 21 in Glenwood Springs.
Until then, it’s drills, drills and more drills.
“We took a big first step into the summer season,” McDonald said. “We are going to keep working until the whole team is qualified. We have a lot of competition left.”
John Vandelinder can be reached at 875-1793, or jvandelinder@craigdailypress.com
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