The operative phrase uttered before the Durango High School girls swim team senior recognition was, “Don’t cry.”
All five girls held it together, standing on the blocks Friday at the Fort Lewis College pool holding flowers and wearing novelty tiaras during their last home meet.
“It’s amazing each year, especially as this is my third season. These girls who are now seniors were sophomores when I first started coaching,” DHS head coach Kathryn Ross said. “It’s amazing to watch them – the growth and progression throughout the season. As a coach, it’s really rewarding to see such a great group of girls graduating. They’re a really committed, hardworking group.”
Swimmers Bryn Joyner and Haley Warren and divers Sarah Lawton, Caroline Tidwell and Elise Tidwell were honored shortly after the diving competition.
“I was so emotional because this was my favorite part of high school, and it’s the first thing that’s ending,” said Elise Tidwell, daughter of Ann and Chad Tidwell.
At least they were able to go out with a win.
DHS sailed by the competition, outpacing four other teams with 189 points. Motnezuma-Cortez was second with 95, Farmington third with 69, Piedra Vista fourth with 43 and Grand Junction Central/Palisade fifth with 14.
“I think everyone swam solid times,” Ross said. “A lot of girls got sick in the last few weeks, even in this past week. There’s definitely been a bug going around. I’m hoping that, everyone did well, considering we’re coming back from break and everyone’s been sick, but I’m hoping, going forward, we can keep the team healthy.”
The Demons’ 200-yard medley relay of Elli Earl, Mira Joyner, Anne Mummery and Warren didn’t let anything slow it down, winning in 2 minutes, 2.05 seconds.
Their closest competition was Durango’s ‘B’ relay of Lillian Bisantz, Jocelyn Earl, Lacey Hoselton and Violet Witchel, which finished 11 seconds later.
Elli Earl also dominated the 200-yard freestyle, taking it in 2:15.11 and outpacing the field by four seconds.
DHS took three out of the top four spots off the diving platform. Lawton was second with 210.95 points, Elise Tidwell third with 207.45 and Caroline Tidwell fourth with 205.45.
Of those three, Lawton and Elise Tidwell have qualified for state, and Caroline Tidwell just needs to build up her degree of difficulty score having already dove two qualifying program scores.
“The type of diver she is is a foundational diver,” DHS diving coach Mark Fleming said of Caroline Tidwell. “She stands out over almost everyone with basic dives on a degree of difficulty standpoints. She takes a basic dive and turns it into something absolutely incredible.”
Mummery blew away the field in the 100-yard butterfly, the first event after the senior recognition.
She won in 1:06.99, 12 seconds clear of the second-place finisher.
Jocelyn Earl impressed her teammates in winning the 500-yard freestyle in 6:03.26.
“I was blown away by her performance in that,” said Bryn Joyner, daughter of Tom Joyner and Shalley Parmenter.
The Demons’ 200-yard freestyle relay team of Catherine Dellinger, Bryn Joyner, Mira Joyner and Warren barely missed a state qualifying time by winning the event in 1:52.24. They’re about a second away from qualifying, which would send all three DHS relays to state.
“We worked as hard as we could,” Bryn Joyner said.
Mummery picked up another win in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:04.73. Elli Earl took the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:18.84, leading Demons to first through sixth. She also was a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team along with Dellinger, Mummery and Bryn Joyner that closed out the meet with an eight-second victory, in 4:08.16.
DHS next will compete at a league meet at Montrose with three meets left until districts.
“I think we’re in a really strong position. We have a bunch of girls who are solid, solid swimmers this year,” Ross said. “It’s actually going to be difficult picking the relays. I’m hoping our 2,000-free relay does make it, but the choice becomes, who’s going to be put in what relays at state?”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
