Wyoming’s top five recognized

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
 
Every year, Wyoming Swimming Inc. hosts the Top 5 banquet in Casper the second weekend of November. This banquet recognizes all swimmers in Wyoming who are members of USA Swimming who have achieved up to the fifth-fastest times in each event for each different age category. Over 800 top-five times were made this year by more than 200 swimmers, according to WSI’s junior athletic representative, Zoe Robison. 
Among these 200 were three Newcastle athletes: Hannah Gross, Gabe Hoover and Ramsey Gross, who each attained a top-five time in at least one event. Ramsey took it in the boys 11-12 age group for the 200-meter butterfly, Hannah in the 100 yard backstroke and freestyle for the girls 13-14 age group and Gabe for the boys 8 and under age group for the 25- and 50-yard backstroke, 100-yard individual medley and 200 yard freestyle. 
In addition to receiving awards, the athletes had the opportunity to meet and hear from Olympian Jason Lezak, famous for his world-record-breaking finish in the USA men’s 4-by-100-meter relay team during the 2008 Olympics. Lezak shared his story at the banquet and at a swim clinic he ran earlier that day to help swimmers improve their strokes. 
He emphasized that focusing on his goals, being willing to put the work towards those goals, and believing in himself allowed him to stand on the first-place podium at the Olympics, a dream Lezak said he had ever since he was young. He encouraged the swimmers to set goals and diligently work toward them every day at practice.