C-Falls Swim Team opens at Bitterroot Invite
Colton Babcock was third in the 100-meter IM in the 8-and-under age group at state last year.
Columbia Falls Swim Team members may have not been able to practice in their home pool at Pinewood Park, but they are preparing for the season opener this weekend.
The boys and girls teams, under second-year head coach Mike Nelson and returning assistant Michelle Cronquist, begin the 2009 season at the Bitterroot Invitational on Saturday and Sunday in Hamilton.
Nelson and Cronquist have only about 38 swimmers out for the program this summer compared to 51 last year. Nelson feels the economic crunch has played a role in the lower numbers.
While waiting for the availability of the Pinewood pool due to leakage problems, the CFST has been practicing at an alternative site.
"The WAVE has stepped up and let us practice the first two weeks," Nelson said of the Whitefish facility. "That has been awesome."
The Pinewood pool is expected to open to the public June 15.
Erik Anderson led the CFST to seventh in the boys division of last year's Montana Federation State Swim Meet in Fort Benton while the girls were 10th. He broke Federation records in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly events. Malta, which was second in the boys and girls divisions, is the defending overall champion. Sidney was second last year.
Anderson and Alan Newton completed their eligibility in the swim program last season, but the CFST has a number of quality swimmers returning.
Some of the top returnees for the boys, with their age group and stroke specialties, are: Colton Babcock, 9-10, butterfly; Vincent Erickson, 15-19; breaststroke and backstroke; Ben Donner, 15-19, 400 freestyle, butterfly; Kodiak Gimbel, 15-19, free and back; Jon Riffey, 15-19, fly; Hunter Newton, 13-14, breast and back; Garrett Role, 13-14, individual medley; Dalton Nelson, 13-14, free and fly; Michael Baiar, 15-19, fly and free; and Nate Labuda, 15-19, breast.
Top returnees among the girls are: Bria Ward, 15-19, backstroke; Hanna Ronish, 15-19, fly; Katelyn Piper, 15-19, free; Kristi Newton, 15-19, IM and breast; Katie Newton, 15-19, breast and back; Lexie Bartkoski, 15-19, fly; Katie Donner, 13-14, breast; Jessica Baiar, 13-14, fly and free; Karyssa Nelson, 9-10, IM and fly; and Ashley Caffrey, 9-10, IM and free.
Nelson and Cronquist have eight swimmers who are new to competition. They are Tyler Langton, Danny Henjum, Kaleb Bagley and Kirby Sharbono for the boys, and Analise Henjum, Cici Robison, Casey Shea and Ava Chisholm for the girls.
"We should be as competitive as last year in the relays," Nelson said of the boys team. "The girls should be pretty good too in the upper age group."
The best stroke for both the CFST boys and girls teams — the butterfly, since both coaches are skilled in swimming the fly.
The CFST will have only one home meet this season. That is when the local swimmers host the divisional meet Heritage Days weekend — July 25-26. The state meet is in Roundup this year.