MAC swimmers gear up for state

The Mitchell Aquatic Club won’t be the largest team at the state A swimming championship this weekend in Aberdeen, but coach Kyle Margheim hopes his team will be the most efficient.

Twenty-nine MAC swimmers will compete at the championships, beginning Friday from ages 8 to 18. The meet concludes Sunday.

“I am very proud of my kids, and I think we will have strong standouts at each age group,” Margheim said. “They give out a percentage award for the team that has the most points per swimmer, and I think we will be in the top two in that category, which would be a huge success. … I think we can get into the top five of the regular standings as well.”

Last weekend in Rapid City, MAC swimmers won 12 events at the state B championship. The state B championship was the last chance for swimmers to qualify for the state A championship if they were not already qualified.

The group logged 16 top-four finishes, placed fourth overall and won the percentage award. The percentage award is given to the team that has the highest number of points generated by individual swimmers.

The 9-10 girls’ relay team and Josh Brooks accounted for six of the team’s 12 first-place finishes. The relay team took first in the 200-meter freestyle and the 200-meter medley, while Brooks won the 50-, 100- and 200-meter freestyles and the 100-meter backstroke in the 17-and-over boys’ group.

“It has been fun to watch this team because I feel like we have seen a lot of success in our younger kids,” Margheim said. “To see them have huge time drops this season has been wonderful. … My kids work pretty hard, and at times it’s hard for them to stay motivated, but that’s why we like to go to the meets and swim fast.”

Among the swimmers heading to the state A championship are Tevyn Waddell and Ethan Huber.

Waddell, 14, holds six state records and will be competing in seven events. Huber, 12, broke team records in the 100-meter back stroke and the 200-meter individual medley at the Midwest All-Stars swim meet in Lawrence, Kan., last month.

“I am really trying to focus on building the depth of the team, so even if our swimmers don’t finish in the top three in their events, I am proud,” said Margheim, who will be coaching in his third winter state A championship meet. “If we have kids who place eighth or higher than they were originally seeded, then that is a success as well.”

Tags: sports, updates, swimming, mitchell