Malta to host swim meet this weekend

Malta will be host of the 2016 Divisional Swim Meet for the Eastern Montana Federation of Swimmers. The meet will host eight teams and close to 300 swimmers. Malta should have 28 swimmers this weekend which is a strong number for a group that has placed with less than half the amount in prior weeks.

Last week the Malta Swim held their final regular season meet in Sidney. The meet featured an Olympic sized pool with a dock to shorten the course to a standard size.

"The meet went very well," Malta Head Coach Cassie Pratt told the PCN. "I still had a small number of swimmers but this weekend it will be different since it will be divisionals. I brought thirteen and everybody placed and everybody did a good job."

The top twelve qualifiers in each event will qualify for the 2016 State Meet in Bitterroot on July 30-31.

Junior swimmer Connor Tuss was the team's high point earner last weekend, taking first place in both the 50 breaststroke and 50 backstroke.

He also took second in the 200 IM.

Coach Pratt was also impressed with her senior swimmers last weekend, which includes junior assistant coaches Grant O'Brien and Shay Garfield.

"Grant actually had his best weekend he's had so far," Coach Pratt said. "He improved in all of his times and ended up winning his 100 meter breaststroke. I'm happy he went for the win and he got it."

Coach Pratt hopes to keep O'Brien focused to shine in the last home meet of his Swim Team career.

Garfield had a great meet taking third in the 200 IM, 100 Breast stroke and 100 backstroke.

"I did really well, actually," Garfield said. "I got a personal best for this year in my IM. I took seven seconds off my time. I didn't do as well as I wanted in the breaststroke but I redeemed myself in the backstroke and took off three seconds."

Ella Schye participated in a new event last week, the 400 freestyle.

"She did a wonderful job," Coach Pratt said. "It's a very hard race for these young swimmers to do; it's 16 laps of almost sprinting the whole thing."

She praised her junior coaches for their help this season.

"It's been great that I have people to support me and I can support them," Coach Pratt said. "It's a big help with the Bantams especially. They do well with the kids and the kids respect them."