Swimmers ramp things up
The first weekend back in the water for the full Dogie Swim team was a resounding success. Head coach Doug Scribner was beyond pleased with how his small team made waves in Cody and Powell over the weekend, given that new qualifying times were earned in four different events and the 200 Freestyle Relay team clocked the fastest time posted by a Dogie team in nearly two decades.
“We dropped time in multiple events, even though it’s hard to swim well after the long drive (to Cody),” Scribner explained. “But it’s also worth it to have another opportunity to swim there, since (the conference meet) is there this year.”
Gabe Hoover continues to cut time in his events, and on Friday in Cody the sophomore filled up his state qualification card when he posted a personal best, 4A time in the 100 Backstroke where he finished second. He also swam a personal record in the 200 IM, where he won the event in a very tight race.
“My favorite event is the 200 IM and it was a really close race on Friday,” Hoover said, grinning. “I out-touched a kid by 300ths of a second. He got a body length on me in the breaststroke (my weakest stroke) but I caught him in the last 25 yards of the freestyle.”
Harrison Gross qualified in two events, the 100 Breaststroke on Friday and the 500 Freestyle on Saturday, leaving only one more event to add to his state slate.
“Harrison swam a super PR in the 500 on Saturday!” Scribner said. “His last split was a 31, which beat everyone else’s last split by a second.”
Logan Olson added the 200 IM to his state slate, bringing his total to five events.
Sam Scribner had already qualified for the state meet in the 1 Meter Diving event, but the senior really showed what he was made of when he notched a 4A qualifying score in an 11-dive format in Cody on Friday.
“Sam had a great meet and his 337 score now puts him second in 3A in diving,” Scribner said. “Hannah (Cummings) has done a great job in fine-tuning the things that Samuel needs to work on, and his confidence and consistency is improving.”
The highlight of the weekend was the performance of the 200 Freestyle Relay team in the invitational on Saturday. Olson, Sam Scribner, Hoover and Gross finished third with the fastest time a men’s 200 Free relay team has posted in Scribner’s tenure as head swim coach.
“I knew that we had the potential to swim the two-free relay in under 1:40, but after the times we swam on Friday, I asked the boys what they wanted to do, and they wanted to go for it,” Scribner said, smiling.
Therefore, Scribner loaded the relay with the four fastest swimmers and they rose to the challenge and swam a 1:39.
“They were super excited. They knew they could do it and so did I, and watching them swim it, I know we can be faster,” Scribner said. “There were just a few technical mistakes which, when adjusted, will mean that the four can put up faster times going forward.”
“We’re really getting dialed in and our 200 Free Relay team is looking good,” Hoover added. “It was a goal of mine to go under 23 seconds in my (50-yard) split and I did it, so that was awesome.”
This week, the Dogies competed in a dual against Douglas in Newcastle on Tuesday and they will travel to Cheyenne for a competition at Cheyenne South on Friday.