MSHS Swim & Dive Win Their First Home Meet

Aliah Char, Photo/Copy Editor

The Manitou Springs High School Girls’ Swim & Dive team crushed their first tri-meet of the season. The swimmers won eleven out of the twelve races against La Junta and Englewood on November 28th at the Manitou Pool. Sophia Cirko (10), Sydney Dolloff-Holt (12), Kaitlyn Cashdollar (12) and Bella Kuzbek (10) began the day by earning 1st for the team in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:00.10. “The medley is a really good event because it really allows us to play to our strengths. In a regular medley race, someone might have one weak stroke, but in the relay, we’re allowed to piece together swimmers that excel at one individual stroke,” Cashdollar, one of the co-captains of the swim team, said. This allows for weaknesses to be hidden and exemplifies the team’s strengths as a whole.

Cashdollar also won another 6 points, coming in first place with a time of 2:20.78 in the 200 freestyle. Other wins include Kuzak swimming a 50 Freestyle in 28.30 seconds, Cirko swimming a 100 butterfly in 1:08.22 seconds, and Dolloff-Holt swimming the 100 freestyle in 57.93 seconds. As four of the most capable 50 split swimmers on the team, Dolloff-Holt, Aiden Coté (9), Cirko and Kuzbek’s combined personal relay time was a full 5 seconds faster than the other team’s. Dive Captain Delaney Sawyer (10) also competed well, obtaining a 150.75 in her six, 1-meter dives. Other team members carried their weight too, earning first place times in categories like the 100 Breaststroke— Coté– and the 400 Freestyle relay– Cashdollar, Avrie Tomsik (10), Coté and Lindsey Dwinell (10).

In the end, the team won 124.50-55.50 against La Junta, and 143-29 against Englewood. Now, they have even more drive to practice in light of their achievements. Consistently under the coaching of Roy Chaney, they plan to go even further, finishing the season off with multiple members competing in state individually and for the team. Their upcoming meets are Monday, December 3rd and Friday, December 14th.