The smell of chlorine filled the air and puddles lined the ground as the Bronco swim team made their way to the bleachers. As they walked to their area, the Broncos passed the 13 teams and hundreds of athletes they would be competing against that morning. Shoes were wet, heat sheets marked, and nerves peaked.
After a quick 25-minute warmup, the meet began with the 200-yard Medley Relays. The girls’ team, composed of Libby Hughes (9) swimming backstroke, Evelyn Godbold (11) swimming breaststroke, Evelyn Deroche (11) swimming butterfly, and Maddy Snyder (11) swimming freestyle, placed fifth with a time of 2:57.97.
The boys’ A team, composed of Matthew Hughes (11) swimming backstroke, Reece Achord (12) swimming breaststroke, Jamarcus Samuel (11) swimming butterfly, and Joseph Johnson (11) swimming freestyle, placed second, with a time of 1:50.22. The boys’ B team, composed of Carson Southhall (9) swimming backstroke, David Gaines (12) swimming breaststroke, Ricky Wells (10) swimming butterfly, and Kelvin Ridgley (11) swimming freestyle, placed sixth with a time of 2:16.84.
Once the 200 Medley was over, it was time to move on to the individual events. The team recorded 26 personal best times in individual races and five state qualifying times. The state qualifiers were Reece Achord (12), Joseph Johnson (11), and Evelyn Deroche (11).
Achord’s qualifying times were 5:10.10 in the Male 500 Yard Freestyle and 1:05.23 in the Male 100 Yard Breast. Johnson’s time was 24.11 in the Male 50 Yard Free. Deroche’s times were 27.17 in the Female 50 Yard Free and 1:07.44 in the Female 100 Yard Fly.
The state qualifying time for the Female 50 Yard Free was Deroche’s time from last year, so all she had to do was make a PR (personal best time), something she did successfully at the meet. “I was really proud of that [PR]… that I got faster; I did better,” Deroche said.
Though she’s thrilled with her accomplishments, they didn’t come easily. Deroche emphasized the fatigue she experienced during her races, especially during the 100 Yard Fly. “It was really hard to speed up because I was also so exhausted. That race is a really long one, and it leaves you with nothing in the tank,” Deroche said. “I was mostly trying to focus on making sure I was at a consistent tempo and speeding up.”
But even after her individual events, Deroche’s work wasn’t done. The team still had to compete in two more relay events — the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay and the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay.
The girls’ 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team, composed of Isabel Rupnow (9), Anna Beauchamp (11), Myra Jenkins (9), and Isabella Peterkin (11), placed eighth with a time of 2:16.38. The boys’ 200 Yard Free Relay team, composed of Jamarcus Samuel (11), Matthew Hughes (11), Reece Achord (12), and Joseph Johnson (11), placed second with a time of 1:39.24.
The girls’ 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team, composed of Evelyn Deroche (11), Isabel Rupnow (9), Camille Harms (10), and Maddy Snyder (11) placed fourth with a time of 4:39.71. And, the boys’ 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team, composed of Kelvin Ridgley (11), Ricky Wells (10), Jake Curry (10), and David Gaines (12), placed third with a time of 4:11.09.
Overall, the girls placed fifth in the meet and the boys placed first, winning by 83 points! Though at times the Zachary Broncos felt utterly exhausted, they persevered to make the most of their first swim meet.
Great job Broncos!
