Members of the Aberdeen Swim Club turned in solid performances during the team’s annual High Point Indoor Meet this past weekend at the Aberdeen Family Y.
The Stingrays were missing four of their top swimmers who were competing in an all-star meet in Iowa, but that opened opportunities for other members, according to coach Neil Romney.
“It some ways it was a good opportunity for some of our swimmers who weren’t at all-stars, because some of those kids that were gone who would normally be competing for the win weren’t there … and our swimmers had a chance to fill that or at least strive to fill that position. I think they responded well to that.”
High-point winners included Lydia Kessler, Logan Smith, Braelyn Anderson, Sterne Johnston, Ava Smallman, Tigue Karst, Annie Bindenagel, and Andrew Jorgenson.
Stingrays that accomplished new USAS motivational standards were B cuts: Kinsley Anderson, Annie Bindenagel, Ashlee Bindenagel, Evie Brudvig, Marcie Fites, Blake Isaak, Eiler Jensen, Harper Johnson, Sterne Johnston, Tigue Karst, Paisley LaFave, Jayden Nerdig, Olivia Neys, and Adelyn Quinn; BB cuts: Braelyn Anderson, Annie Bindenagel, Ashlee Bindenagel, Tigue Karst, Mali Larson, Jayden Nerdig, Ava Smallman, Logan Smith; and A cuts: Joe Grebner.
Romney said his swimmers had a bit of extra motivation competing at home.
“There are multiple benefits from a meet and more so swimming at home,” Romney said, “because they get a chance to swim in front of their friends and family, who may not be able to travel to watch and it’s their home pool so I think they tend to have a little extra investment in it. We definitely saw that from many of our swimmers this weekend.”
Romney said it was also good for some of the swimmers who normally compete in two or four events, to be able to compete in eight events over the two-day meet.
“We get to see as coaches how what we’re doing in practice is translating or not into their performance,” Romney said.
From that standpoint, Romney liked what he saw in the pool from the Stingrays.
“It was very encouraging this weekend,” Romney said. “We saw some of those things we’ve been working on manifest in the racing pool.”
