Cramming into a bus for a multi-hour trip won’t be part of the plan Friday for the Durango High School girls swim team.
The Demons will host their first – and only – home meet of the season at 2 p.m. Friday at the Durango Community Recreation Center.
DHS normally would compete at the Fort Lewis College swimming pool, but it is closed because of renovations. That has forced the Demons to adjust their practice schedule, alternating early morning and late evening sessions.
“The girls are extremely dedicated,” DHS swimming head coach Kathryn Ross said at Wednesday’s practice.
The venue shift hasn’t impacted DHS in competition, however.
The Demons have qualified two individuals and two relay teams for state thus far.
Brooke Kniffin has qualified in the 100-yard backstroke and 50-yard freestyle, while Anne Mummery made the cut in the 100 back and 100 free. Both also are a part of the 400 free and 200 medley relays that qualified for state, as well.
“It’s been a good season so far. We’ve come a lot farther than I thought (we would),” said Kniffin, daughter of Kelly and Rick Kniffin. “We kind of scrambled on relays in the beginning, but now we’ve got it down.”
Ross expects five other teams to attend the meet.
Originally Delta, Fruita Monument, Grand Junction, Montezuma-Cortez, Montrose and Palisade were supposed to compete, but Fruita Monument recently said it would not attend.
Ross doesn’t expect the recent closure of Red Mountain Pass to affect the meet, as she has received entries from every team except the Wildcats.
The Demons plan to recognize their seniors at the meet and hope for support from their family and friends.
“There could be more pressure, I guess, because people you know are watching you,” said Katie Pannell, daughter of Jim and Kathy Pannell. “So, if you swim bad, everybody will see it.”
“But it kind of makes you swim faster,” Kniffin said. “Because you’re like, ‘Oh my, they’re watching.’”
Spectators will have more than just swimming to watch Friday: Durango’s team also includes four divers that will compete roughly halfway through a swim meet’s schedule. All four are in their second year of diving, and the program was brought on by the arrival of coach Mark Fleming.
“The effort and progression that they’ve put in this entire year, I couldn’t ask for more,” Fleming said. “Some of the tricks they’re doing now are way beyond what I’d thought we’d do in competition at the beginning of the season.”
Fleming said the divers have approached state-qualifying scores this season and that it is a goal to qualify as many athletes as possible for state.
“It’s something to always keep in mind and to shoot for, but it’s not the be-all, end-all thing,” he said. “This season is about growing as divers and growing with the sport.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
