These four swimmers worked very hard to earn the title “Athletes of the week.” Each has honed in on personal goal setting, on focus to achieve that goal or goals, and then each has worked very hard on the physical training required to keep shaving seconds off of each personal time for each event swum. The swim team is made of swimmers from all four high schools in the valley. They are called the Griffins.
According to Ben Krane Fruita Monument junior, swimming is great. He wants to take the Western Slope Championship.
According to Coach Leonhart, Krane, in his second year of swimming, is still “raw,” meaning his potential hasn’t even been touched. Yet, he qualified for state the second time he swam the butterfly stroke this year, as well as all the relay events. He will be swimming next year and later, perhaps ,for the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.
Ty Walton, a Grand Junction freshman, thinks swimming is a blast, as well as a good sport to do. He has been swimming for the Dolphins, a year-round swim club for several years now. As a varsity swimmer he has come back from shoulder surgery to qualify for state in all of his events.
Cyrus Pearo, also a Freshman at Grand Junction and a Dolphin has done well for his first year on varsity. He qualified for state in the 100 fly. He feels that swimming is the best sports even though it takes more training.
“It’s just fun,” he said, “to be in the water.”
He swims in the State relays as well.
Sam Leonhart, a Fruita Monument junior and long time Dolphin, described swimming as “what we do.”
He has qualified for state in the 100 back and the 200 free. These four swam the relays in which all qualified for state, the 400 free style, the 200 medley and the 200 free style relay.
With less than 28 days remaining in the season, the four want their team to take the West slope Championships.
Coach Dale Leohnhart, needless to say, is proud of the team.