Lions Swim Team competes at state meet

From Havre Lions Swim Team Coach Hayley Coursey

Havre Lions Swim Team competed in the Montana State Swim Meet this weekend February 21 to 23 with some of the fastest swimmers in the state like Katheryn Russo and Peter Thompson who will be also competing at the Olympic trials this summer in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Lions took six swimmers to state: Audrey Taylor, Blake Taylor, Chole Harber, Brady Pleninger, Ainsley Courtnage and Elizabeth Carroll.

Audrey Taylor competed in five events this weekend. She placed and went to finals in all her events, she also achieved a best time in all five events.

In 200 freestyle she placed sixth with a time of 2:06.34, 100, breaststroke she placed fourth with a time of 1:10.36, 200 IM she placed first with a time of 2:20.72, 50, freestyle she placed fifth with a time of 25.86, and 50 breaststroke placed third with a time of 31.67.

Blake Taylor competed in his first state swim meet this weekend and made it into finals both days he swam. He competed in four events this weekend, 50 back with a time of 34.65, 100, breaststroke where he made finals, dropping his time twice in one day, in both prelims and finals for a final time of 1:25.01, 50 freestyle with a time of 30.68, and 50 breaststroke dropping a huge amount in his 50 yards of 5.5 sec with a final time of 38.47.

Pleninger is one of our newest additions to the team, swimming at his second USA Swimming competitions, where did wonderfully, swimming in seven events: 50 backstroke with a time of 28.89; 200 IM swim at a time of 2:20.11; 50 free, placing eighth with only one second separating him from the first-place time place of 22.15, he swam a ace with a time of  23.05; 100 fly with a time of 1:02.52; 50 fly with a time of 26.54;, 100 freestyle with a time of 51.69; 100 backstroke, placing eighth with a great finish and a two-second time drop with a time of 1:02.84.

Chole Harber swam in her third swim meet and first state swim meet this weekend in four events, 25 backstroke with a best time of 22.12; 50 freestyle with a time of 43.72; 25 backstroke, placing fifth and earning her first state medal with a time of 18.85, dropping three seconds from her previous best time; 50 backstroke with a time of 52.01.

Ainsley Courtnage swam trhee events at the state meet, 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:33.48, 50 freestyle with a time 32.51, 50 breaststroke with a time of 41.77.

Elizabeth Carroll swam at her first state swim meet in six events: 50 backstroke, 50 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 100 IM.

Our athletes all swam extremely strongly. As a coach, I am very proud of the goals they have achieved this year and the work they put into this season to accomplished them. Montana has some powerful swimmers and to be able to place next to them this weekend is a great mark for the team coming home this weekend.

The Havre Lions Swim Team will be taking a break April 6 for a well-deserved rest for our swimmers. We will come back for spring and summer season starting April 20. Our spring registration will be April 16 at 4 p.m. To find out more go to Havre Lions Facebook page for more details or email [email protected] .