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With the last lap of the 400-meter free relay, the Moffat County High School boys swim team had some catching up to do.

Despite good performances from John Kirk, Chance Peterson and Charlie Griffiths, swimmers from Durango High School were pulling ahead.

Enter Cole Worsley.

Swimming the last lap of the last event of the day, Worsley closed the gap at the regional qualifying meet Saturday.

At the end of the race, however, Durango won the battle with a time of 3:46.32, nipping the Bulldogs' 3:46.39, but the team will swim another day.

Although they placed fifth in the event, their time was well below the qualifying time of 3:51, meaning the team will be swimming again next week at state.

"We were quite far behind Durango before the last leg of the relay," coach Patti Worsley said. "But, Cole was right behind him and almost had him at the end."

In the 200-meter free relay, the team placed fourth overall with a time of 1:41.13, which has Worsley feeling confident for next week.

"It was right on their best time," she said. "They had the same time they did last week in our pool, but now, they'll get time to rest.

Mesa County Valley School District 51 won the meet, with a score of 432 points. Durango was second with 346, and Montrose was third with 301 points. Delta, with 116 points, placed just ahead of Moffat County, which had 96.

Glenwood Springs rounded out the meet with a score of 27.

Worsley said Moffat County's score wasn't because of poor efforts in the pool.

"There was a lot of improvement all around - I think all the kids improved in every event," she said. "We don't have any divers. Delta was able to get ahead of us because they have divers."

Cole Worsley won the 50-meter free with a time of 22.16 seconds, but Patti Worsley said the best is yet to come.

"He hasn't started to taper yet, so I expect him to do even better next week," she said.

In the 100-meter fly, Cole Worsley didn't just win with a time of 54:46 - he dominated.

"He was more than three seconds ahead of the next competitor," Patti Worsley said.

Griffiths finished 11th in the 50-meter free with a time of 26:05, which represented the sophomore's best time of the season.

Peterson was right behind him with a time of 26:70.

Kirk finished ninth in the 200-meter free relay with a time of 2:06.93, topping his previous best of 2:09.53.

In the 100-meter backstroke, he placed seventh with a time of 1:10.65.

The swimmers will compete in the 4-by-200 meter free relay and the 4-by-400 free relay at the state meet Friday and Saturday in Loveland.

Worsley will be competing in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter fly at state.

He is ranked in the top two for each event.

The team will begin to taper in the upcoming week.

"They'll be working on all their techniques, but there won't be any distance," Worlsey said. "They'll just rest and begin to focus on what they need to do next weekend."

The team is peaking at the right time, Worsley said.

"They exceeded where they were last week," she said. "It's really exciting for everyone. There are several guys who have never been to state before, and we expect them to do ever better next week."

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 875-1795 or bbulkeley@craigdailypress.com.