With one last weekend to make the state cut, the Moffat County girls swimmers kept pushing each day of the Western Slope League Championships. The result was some nice hardware and even more slots for the team at the upcoming state championships.

Bulldog swimmers placed in multiple races Saturday, Feb. 4, as part of the regional meet that was their last chance to qualify for the 3A CHSAA State Championships on Feb. 10-11 in Thornton. Steamboat Springs freshman Zoe Anfang stood out in both the 500-yard freestyle and the 200 individual medley, placing second and third, respectively.

“She did an amazing job,” coach Melany Neton said.

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Anfang’s finish in the 200 IM finals proved to be her best time yet at 2 minutes, 21.01 seconds, while her 5:32.07 in the 500 preliminaries also hit the state mark.

The MoCo team earned its best placement as a group in the 400 freestyle relay, taking eighth in the finals after Evie Gruben, Anna Richman, Megan Neton and Anfang finished at 4:12.05 in the prelims for their best time of the season.

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Though the Bulldogs didn’t make the podium in the other races, they added to the team score by qualifying for the finals in every relay. They scored points in the 200 medley relay at 10^th with Richman, Anfang, Megan Neton and Gruben, and in the 200 free relay at 15^th with Kate Lockwood, Jayden Hill, Mary Willems and Megan Neton.

A prelim time of 1:09.68 in the 100 backstroke qualified Richman for the finals as well as state. Richman also took 10^th in the 200 free, just missing a state time with a season-best 2:17.56.

At 27.67 in prelims, Gruben came closer than anyone on the team to breaking the state qualifying time of 27.50 in the 50 free and was just short of going to the finals. However, her finals time in the 100 free saw her hit 1:00.6 to punch her state ticket, placing 15^th.

Though she didn’t swim the 500 at the league meet, Gruben also qualified for state early in the season in the long-distance event.

According to CHSAA state heat sheets released Monday, Feb. 6, Anfang is seeded sixth and Gruben 30^th in the 500; Anfang 12^th in the 200 IM; Richman 31^st in the 100 backstroke; and Gruben 41^st in the 100 free. Natalie Womble also will represent Moffat County in the 50 free unified/adaptive solo race.

In relays, with Anfang and Gruben already competing in two individual races — Anfang qualified for state in all but two of the solo events this season — coach Melany Neton will have the grouping of Anfang, Gruben, Richman and Megan Neton in the 18th-ranked 400 free and the 27th-seeded 200 medley.

The 200 free team, ranked 28^th, will consist of Richman, Megan Neton, Lockwood and Willems. Jayden Hill and Bella Short will also serve as alternates for state.

“I am very grateful to have them there,” Melany Neton said. “You never know what might happen.”