His team’s performance at last weekend’s Southwestern League Championships astounded Durango High School boys swimming head coach Tom Joyner.
The Demons added three more state qualification times and consistently dropped time across the board.
“I set my mind to work them hard, and the payoff was huge,” Joyner said.
With that performance in the rearview, though, DHS turns its attention to the CHSAA Class 4A State Championships on Friday and Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.
“(Western Slope) is fast. Obviously the Front Range is a bit faster,” Joyner said. “Missy Franklin coming from the Front Range, those are the types of programs they have there.”
Seven Demons will find out how they stack up.
Ben Miller and Tommy Pannell will compete in individual events, and DHS qualified all three of its relays.
Miller will swim the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, while Pannel is entered in the 100- and 500-yard freestyles.
Pannell added both of those times at the SWL championships last weekend.
“I stayed more relaxed through the first part of the race and sped up the second part,” said Pannell, son of Jim and Kathy Pannell.
Miller missed Wednesday’s practice with an illness, and his status for the meet depends on if he feels well enough to get on the bus Thursday.
Miller and Pannell are three-time state qualifiers and will be looked to for leadership from a relatively inexperienced team.
“Sometimes they’ll sit out on a 50 or two,” Pannell said. “Now we won’t let them do that if they’re on the state team.”
The other five guys will mix and match with Pannell to form the three relays, the 200-yard medley, 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle.
Ben Clark will swim in the 200 and 400 free relays in his first trip to the state meet.
“One’s more of a controlled sprint because you go two more lengths,” said Clark, son of Jeff and Kristey Clark.
Few psych sheets give any Demon a chance to swim in Saturday’s finals or consolation finals.
Durango’s highest-seeded event is the 22nd-ranked 400-yard freestyle team.
Joyner isn’t giving up hope of his kids going out and surprising somebody.
“I’m not telling them that they don’t have a chance. They showed me this weekend that they’re able to go above and beyond,” Joyner said. “I have no expectations, and I’m not going to be surprised if we do better than I’d hoped.”
It’s happened before.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
