(Riverton, WY) – The Riverton Swim Club hosted 185 swimmers from nine teams at the Riverton Aquatic Center Saturday for their Reindeer Dash meet, featuring USA Swimming-sanctioned timing and an opportunity for swimmers to qualify for the state meet in February in Gillette.
Riverton Swim Club currently has about 130 youth swimmers in the program, practicing 2-4 times per week. Meet director Tina Jordan said events like this are about more than fast times, they help young athletes grow in and outside of the sport with each other.
“It gets them in the water swimming and learning the strokes,” Jordan said. “But it’s a team sport, and so much of this is learning to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Jordan also spoke to the opportunity for growth and teaching the swim club offers,
“This is a sport that grows with you and you eventually learn how to teach,” said Jordan. “The little ones out here will eventually become the older kids passing down what they learned to the younger ones.”
Hosting the meet also relies heavily on parent, student, and community volunteers who time events, run concessions, and manage safety in accordance with the safe sport guidelines. Jordan noted that these volunteer-backed meets also function as important fundraisers for the program’s budget throughout the year.
Among the visiting teams was the Lander Swim Club, joined by high school coach Erik DeClue, who brought a group of his state-champion girls to continue polishing their skills through the winter season.
The meet provided valuable mid-season racing experience, giving athletes a chance to measure progress and to swim against talented swimmers from all over the state as they continue to aim toward the state competition.
h/t Carl Cote, County 10
Click here for the full results.