Durango swimmers race at home

The Durango High School girls swimming team swam in its home pool at Fort Lewis College on Friday and had a trio of state-qualifying performances.

“I’m happy to walk out of these early meets not far off of where we left off last year,” said DHS head coach Tom Joyner.

Durango squared off with Glenwood Springs and Sargent in the meet on Friday, and was scheduled to race again Saturday against Glenwood and Montrose.

On Friday, Glenwood edged Durango for first place in the team standings, 323-307, followed by Sargent with 199 points.

The Demons knocked down state times in the 200-yard medley relay, the 400 freestyle relay, the 100 backstroke and nearly qualified in another relay as well.

Glenwood won the medley relay in 2 minutes, 2.84 seconds, but Durango’s second-place time of 2:03.29 hit the state mark. Joellianna Rhode, Elin Bjorkland Mischler, Olivia Becher and Chloe Cook swam on the relay for DHS.

Later in the meet, Rhode won the 100 back in a state-qualifying 1:06.19.

Then, in the final race of the day, Durango qualified in the 400-free relay with another second-place finish behind Glenwood’s 4:01.76. Becher, Rhode, Maren Clay and Bjorkland Mischler swam the relay in 4:07.33.

“We’ll always take the (state-qualifying) times, but the reality of these smaller meets is we treat them like a workout,” Joyner said.

The Demons had a lot of other strong swims on Friday that improved on their seeded times.

Becher won the 200 free in 2:14.05, pulling away from Abby Bowman after the first 100. Bowman touched third (2:19.56).

In the 200 individual medley, Rhode finished second in 2:28.72 and Cassidy Hill placed third in 2:45.65.

The 50 free had the largest field, but Cook won the race by a second in 26.55. Emma Ebner finished third (28.60) and Elanor Clark touched fifth (28.99).

Hill led DHS in the 100 butterfly with a third-place finish in 1:19.05.

Durango also had the three fastest times in 100 free. Bjorkland Mischler won in 57.85, followed by Cook in 59.53. Clay won the first heat in the third fastest time overall, 1:00.04.

Becher took second in the 500 free in 5:57.17, touching just two seconds after Emma Lindstrom of Glenwood.

In the following race, Clay anchored Durango’s winning 200 freestyle relay in a time just off the state mark. Bowman, Ebner and Hill had the Demons in second place just behind Glenwood when Clay dove in. Down the final stretch Clay caught Glenwood and managed to touch first in 1:54.00, just .34 seconds ahead of GSHS.

Bjorkland Mischler led DHS in the 100 breaststroke with a third-place finish in 1:19.87, followed by Elyza Baumchen in fourth (1:25.51).

With plans to turn the pool at FLC into a weight room, the weekend’s meets, which are the only home meets scheduled this season, could be some of the last the Demons swim at the college.

“These are our only two home meets so it was a little nerve wracking to put it together,” Joyner said, adding: “I’m grateful we’re able to use this pool; It’s been Durango’s swimming home for years.”

The Demons lost 13 seniors to graduation, but returned six seniors to help lead the team this year. The team’s seniors include Cook, Clay, Baumchen, Bowman, Anna Lawrence and Ashley Forrest. The coach also said the team has a good crop of freshman while some sophomores are also trying it out.

“Everybody is contributing one way or another,” he said.

Durango will next race at the Cheyenne Mountain Invite on Friday.

“The good thing about high school swimming is you get to swim every week so you can refine your strategy and technique and nail down specifics to work on,” Joyner said.