Swim team heading to Eastern Divisional

Malta was not present at the Scobey Swim Meet last weekend, but the team has ten swimmers headed to the Eastern Divisional Swim Meet in Plentywood this week.

"I guess it was just a weekend for them to rest up and get ready for Divisionals," Malta Swim Team Head Coach Darrow Messerly said.

Coach Messerly believes that the Divisional Meet will be similar to the crowded Glasgow Meet a couple of weeks ago, which hosted over 200 swimmers.

Malta has ten swimmers going, including a pair of brothers that have been the team's highest earners in points this summer.

"Kale Young usually scored around 30 points and the same goes for Silas," Coach Messerly said. "But the Wilke Family swims pretty well for us. Taya has been cutting off a bunch of time and has been working super hard in the pool."

He was also appreciative of Danika Wilke, who has been helping him after practice.

"It shows up in the pool too, (Danika) has been working hard and cutting off time as well," Coach Messerly said.

Practices for the swimmers have been two hours long this summer, a big difference from when Messerly swam with the team several years ago.

"Back when I was swimming, we went from 6 a.m. in the morning to one in the afternoon," Coach Messerly said. "That was rough."

Coach Messerly said that he wished that he had more time to work with his swimmers but he knows that the shorter practices won't wear them out.

"They can come to practice every day and give their best effort," Coach Messerly said.

The team is working on the fundamentals of swimming this week and most importantly, their starts and turns.

"Just so that we don't get beat off of those (starts and turns) and so that we have an edge on everybody else," Coach Messerly said.

The Divisional meet starts on Saturday, August 30, and will conclude on Sunday, August 31, in Plentywood.

The State Swim Meet will be held on Saturday, August 6, through Sunday, August 7, in Lewistown.