Lions Swim Team does well in Great Falls

From Lions Swim Team Head Coach Hayley Coursey

Havre Lions Swim Team traveled to Great Falls over the weekend with 17 athletes swimming a total of 70 individual events and three relays.

The team scored a total 645 points, coming in seventh place overall.

Seeing the Lions growth in the pool is always such a reward as a coach. In the last year, the team has grown in size and in power; we are starting to become a team that is getting recognized around the state. We have four athletes who are currently qualified for state, two that just got those cuts this weekend and three bright young ladies that are 1 second away from getting qualified as well. I am excited to see what the rest of our season has in store for us. 

Blake Taylor placed first in the 200 Breaststroke, 100 IM, and 100 Breastroke as well as qualifying for the Montana State Swim Meet Feb. 21-23.

Micah Cammon swam the 500 freestyle dropping 35 seconds finishing with a 7:48.09 and also getting a huge best time dropping 22.5 seconds in 100 IM getting a 1:27.73.

Elizabeth Carroll swam a long weekend with a total of 1250 yards in two days of competition. She achieved getting five new best times in her 50 and 100 Breaststroke, 50 Butterfly, 100 and 500 Freestyle.    

Liliana Smith placed third in the 200 freestyle with a 2:53.15. She also competed in the 100 breaststroke dropping 8.3 seconds for a best time and swimming the 500 freestyle for the first time coming in to the wall with great time of 7:30.63.

Chole Harber competed in her first away meet, placing fourth in her 25 freestyle and qualifying for the Montana State Swim Meet.

Rayalyn Smith swimming only a total of 150 yards this weekend in four different events, 50 Backstroke, 25 Backstroke, 25 Butterfly, and 50 Butterfly, dropped a total of 39 seconds. 

Audrey Taylor placed first in three events, the 100 and 200 Breaststroke and 50 Butterfly, getting a best time in each one. 

She also got a 2:14.69 in her 200 free, in which she will be swimming in Seattle at the upcoming Washington Open Meet Jan. 17-19.

She and her teammate Carson Sandstrom and coach, Hayley Coursey, will be traveling to the open.

The Lions are doing a fundraiser at Taco John's Thursday to help raise funds to go to the meet. In the Crunch for a Cause fundraiser, if people mention the Lions Swim Team when paying for their purchase at Taco John's Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., 50 percent of the purchase price will go to the fundraiser.