Swim team numbers way up, veterans all return to squad

In its second season, the Columbia Falls swim team has more than doubled its numbers. Last year the squad had just seven swimmers, this year there’s 18 total, with 12 boys and six girls on the squad.

“Let’s see if we can increase our place at state this year,” said coach Mike Nelson. The Wildcats don’t have too far to go, the boys took second among Class A schools, the girls took fourth.

The team returns veteran swimmers Colton Babcock, Zayne Friar and Karyssa Nelson as well as Hayden Pierce, Ashley Caffrey and Jacob Holman.

Babcock took second as a sophomore 200-yard freestyle and third in the 500-yard freestyle at state, while Friar was fourth in the butterfly. The state meet combines the Class A and AA schools and doesn’t differentiate between the classes for individual results. 

This year the team has some new talent in Morgan Campbell-Queen, Russell Albin, Sam Pierce and Maddy Stoddard, to name a few, Nelson said. Albin, a freshman, was a standout swimmer in the summer leagues.

The team is combined with Whitefish in practices, but competes separately. Whitefish has 16 swimmers this year. It is funded independently, but is a school-sanctioned sport.

The squad opens its season Dec. 5 in Kalispell at the Summit. Competition starts at noon. It has a home meet this year, the Cat-Dog Invitational at the Wave in Whitefish Jan. 16. Swimming starts at noon as well.