Five swimmers qualify for regionals

Five Aqua Tribe members will compete at the regional meet on Feb. 2-3  in Lubbock.

Two individuals and a relay team qualified after district competition in Andrews on Jan. 19.

Senior Katie Spradlin qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke.

“Katie is in her first year in swimming as a senior,” Coach Danielle Sims said. “She has worked very hard and finished above and beyond where anyone thought she would be as a first-year swimmer.”

Spradlin also qualified as part of the 400-yard freestyle relay along with juniors Kaitlin Harrison, Mckenna Ballard and sophomore Isabela Friesen.

“You have to remember that you’re swimming for the team,” Spradlin said. “Pushing yourself becomes easier.”

Friesen is optimistic.

“We’re practicing as much as we can to get to that point,” Friesen said. “We have to rely on one another. We always help with timing one another and improving our speeds. We’re always working at getting better as one.”

Harrison had hoped to make it individually.

“It means more because you have to put more effort into individual events,” Harrison said. “Sometimes relying on your teammates is hard when you’re in a relay.”

Advancing is an ever-present goal on the team. “We want to beat Monahans,” junior Makenna Ballard said. “We’ve been working on cutting time off of our relay.”

Junior Gatlin Jones was the only Indian who qualified, making it in the 50-yard freestyle.

“I’m trying to get a scholarship,” Jones said. “If I get to state I have a much better chance of that.”

Results from District Meet Maidens–seventh overall

100-yard breastroke–(Katie Spradlin)–fifth (1:26.16) 400-yard freestyle relay–(Kaitlin Harrison, Makenna Ballard, Katie Spradlin, Isabella Friesen)–fourth (4:37.78)

Indians–seventh overall

50-yard freestyle–(Gatlin Jones)–fifth (23.75)