By Andrea Johansen
Wednesday was Emery’s first home swim meet of the year (unless you count the black and gold meet where they competed against themselves…um…each other?). Union was the visiting team, and they brought the heat with some very strong swimmers. There were impressive performances on both sides, but Emery excelled in the freestyle events, taking first in several of them.
But scores are not as important as improvement. And that’s where the personal records (PRs) come into play. Maggie Jeffs PRed in the 100 backstroke and 50 free, Abbie Moulton in the 100 backstroke and 50 free, Kamron Hanson in the 100 butterfly and 50 free, Isaak Potter in the 100 breaststroke and 100 free, Alivia Daley in the 50 free and 100 free, Sydni Lake in the 100 backstroke, Haylen Willis in the 100 breaststroke, Adam Olsen in the 200 IM, Tyson Gardner in the 200 free and 100 backstroke, Jaxon Durrant in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke, Cody Howard in the 50 free and 500 free, Devon Farley in the 100 free, Brooklyn O’Neil in the 50 free, Avey Beagley in the 50 free, Emma Grimm in the 50 free, Corbin Madsen in the 100 backstroke, Laycee Winn in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke, Thomas Black in the 50 free and 100 free, and Jacob Morris in the 200 free. If you see these kids, congratulate them on their achievements.
At the end of the meet, Coach Andrea Johansen said that there are always things to be improved on. Specifically, the swimmers’ dives, finishes, and turns. She told me that phase one of training is complete, which means the team will now work on increasing endurance and start moving into a heavier training mode.
The things she liked seeing were the progress in technique, which is a huge emphasis for the team this year. That improved technique and discipline also led to fewer infractions and better details. The kids also swam more aggressively.
But those weren’t the biggest wins of the meet. A sign hangs in the Emery Aquatic Center that reads, “Strive for excellence in and out of the pool.” Johansen says one of the positives of this particular meet was the good mental attitude the kids showed.
Personally, that attitude, along with a strong work ethic, are the things I hope they will take away from this season, and it seems like they are well on the way.