Malta Swim Team Has Been Working Hard in 2024

The Malta Swim Team has been busy this summer, and despite not having a pool to practice in until Wednesday June 19, the team of six swimmers have been making waves.

The team competed in their second meet of the year, the Harlem Swim Meet on Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22. The team was originally slated to host a home meet, but the pool was not ready to host a meet.

One recent highlight is that Kael Young was second in the high-point running in the Boys 15 and Over age group. He had 36 points, his brother Silas Young had a team-leading 38 points and was third in the high point running in the Boys 13-14 age group.

Kael was asked how he thought his outing at the meet was.

"Pretty good," Kale Young told the PCN. "I wanted to get first but people are annoying. It happens."

Though Young was joking, he did enjoy aspects of the Harlem meet.

"The pool is a little bit smaller so you can conserve a little more energy," Young said. "And it's a close meet, so we don't have to drive a long distance each day."

As a team, the Malta Boys were seventh out of ten teams with a total of 74 points. The Malta Girls were ninth out of twelve teams with 76 points.

S. Young won the Boys 13-14 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 28.36 seconds. He was second in the 100 Yard Breaststroke and 100 Yard Free with times of 1:22.98 and 1:05.26 respectively.

He competed with K. Young, Taya Wilke, and Student Coach Danika Wilke in the Mixed 15 and Over 200 Yard Medley. The group won the event with a time of 2:19.23.

The group also took second in the Mixed 15 and Over 200 Yard Free Relay.

K. Young was second in the 15 and Over 50 Yard Free with a time of 25.25. He was also second in the 100 Yard Free with a time of 56.41. He was also second in the 50 Yard Fly with a time of 29.41.

Taya Wilke led the Malta girls with a total of 32 points. She was second in the Girls 13-14 200 Yard IM with a time of 3:25.25. She was third in the 50 Yard Free with a time of 33.28 and third in the 100 Yard Breast with a time of 1:33.80.

Jayne Young scored 24 points in the Girls 11-12 age group. She was fourth in the 50 Yard Breast with a time of 57.26, fifth in the 50 Yard Back with a time of 50.71, and sixth in the 50 Yard Free with a time of 40.46.

Mary Simons scored 20 points in the Girls 11-12 age group. She was sixth in the 50 Yard Back with a time of 55.79, sixth in the 100 Yard Free with a time of 1:38.44, and seventh in the 50 Yard Free with a time of 41.65.

K. Young was asked how it felt to be back in the Malta City Pool after not having it in the beginning of the season.

"It's an interesting pool, but it's home," he said.

Malta is led by first time Student Coach Danika Wilke, who was asked how things were going.

"Good," Coach Wilke said. "Our first meet, they hadn't had any water practice, only land practice, but they still swam their hardest."

To help the swimmers get in shape, the team ran around the track, town, and played tag around the park.

"Anything to get us out as a group and active," Coach Wilke said.

She said that the team's 15 and over relay team has won three of four races and took second in another race in their only two meets this year.

Coach Wilke was asked how things were going from a coach's perspective.

"They are definitely working hard," she said. "I don't know if they like it but it gets them where they need to be. It's nice to be able to have the experience in the water and then be able to know what they need to focus on when I am out of the water."

The team will be heading south for the Roundup Meet this weekend.

(Results will be in a future PCN.)