Jan. 15—What would you do if you were at swim practice while the Bobcats were competing against the Redbirds for the national championship?
If you are a mixed swimmer at Glacier and Flathead High, you can ask your coach to find the meet on her iPad. …and then you tread water.
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The Montana State Bobcats are in strong form in the Division I football championship game, coming off a 35-34 win over Illinois State on Monday. You could say the same thing about the Wolfpack and Warriors/Bravitt teams, who are in their first seasons under coach Tori Homer.
Of course, they took full advantage of the 8 p.m. practice group.
“I have some ideas just because I coached club teams,” Homer said Wednesday. “But many swimmers have adapted to the situation and have better results throughout the season. It’s really been worth it.”
At this point, with the crosstown meet scheduled for Friday night at the Logan Health and Fitness Center pool, 11 Glacier swimmers and eight Flathead swimmers have qualified for the state championships Feb. 13-14 in Great Falls.
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Homer, who swam for the University of Idaho before moving to Flathead Valley, picked several leaders, starting with Glacier’s Kelly Blodgett and Ainsley McGaughey.
“These two ladies were the foundation of the state relays as well as the individual events,” she said.
For Blodgett, that’s the 100 backstroke and freestyle sprint; McGaughey’s events are the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley.
The Wolfpack boys are Edward McNeil, Chase Vollertsen and Noah Juster: McNeil in the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle; Vollertsen in the 100 backstroke and freestyle sprint; and Juster in the 100 fly and 200 free.
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Homer, along with Madhav Gautam, said, “All of them will be competing in very competitive relays at state.”
“I would like both men and women to return to the A-grade finals,” she continued. “Based on last year’s performance, they should be very competitive.”
Glacier has five seniors on its combined roster: Marian Tuck, McNeil, Gautum, Tretett Warren and Claire Belle.
Flathead’s fortunes were led by the school’s only senior, Ellie Easley, who performed well in the girls’ distance freestyle and 100 breaststroke events. She and junior Elsie Scallenberger (freestyle sprint, 100 fly) were key members of Team Bravitt’s relays.
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That brings us to another happy development: With Meah Koppes and Charley Gregg joining Easley and Scallenberger, Flathead has qualified its first girls relay team for state in four seasons.
Homer calls Cruz Petty Miles and Nick Taylor the “leading gentlemen” of Flathead. She expects Patty Myers to compete in the state 50 and 100 freestyle finals; “He did really, really well,” she said.
Homer said Taylor, meanwhile, qualified in multiple events but was at her best in the 200 freestyle and 100 fly. Patty Myers and Taylor were the first and last leg of the Warriors’ relays.
“I’m very proud,” said Homer, who has a pair of juniors, Glacier’s McGaughey and Blodgett, who hope to swim in college — Blodgett’s goal is to play for Homer’s Idaho Breakers.
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Friday’s Crosstown meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. On Saturday Logan Health will host the school’s final home meeting, the Kalispell-Missoula Conference, which includes three Missoula AA schools as well as Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Polson and Bigfork. The meeting begins at 11 a.m.
