ETV News stock photo by Jeff Barrett
Emery is looking forward to another swim season as the winter begins to roll in. “I’m excited,” said head coach Alicia Whitzel. “We lost a lot of seniors, but there are kids stepping up and filling those roles.”
The Lady Spartans finished fourth in state last year after taking first in the region. “We have a really competitive region with Richfield and Carbon.” Rowland Hall, Carbon and Richfield are top teams in state while Grand is always a dark horse, demonstrating the strength of the region. “Our region is really tough,” reiterated Whitzel. “Our goal is always to take region and do our best at state.”
Individually, Haley Guymon took third in state in the breaststroke and 200 IM will be returning for her senior campaign. She will be fighting for a state title while searching for other ways to leave her mark. “We are super excited to see what she can do. She’s told me, ‘I have goals, I’ve got to break some records.’ That will be awesome to see,” Whitzel added.
The boys’ team will likewise battle to remain competitive. The Spartans finished in second-place in region last year behind the Wildcats. Their side of the region is also extremely tough with teams such as Richfield, Union and Grand. “We only lost one boy from the A relay team that won its events, so we only have to fill one spot on our A relays.” Whitzel concluded, “I think our boys will come out strong. I’m excited for meets to start so we can see where we are at and where we need to build. It will be a good year.”