One week away from the district meet and two weeks away from state, the Durango Demons had a chance to do some fine tuning in their home pool.
The Durango High School boys swimming team hosted Montrose for a dual meet Friday at Fort Lewis College. Montrose fields a team so large it split into two squads. Both Montrose squads totaled 65 points, and Durango had 29 to finish third behind the Indians’ contingent.
“We haven’t had a meet in two or three weeks, and we had been working real hard,” said DHS senior Josh Miller, son of Debbie and Richard Miller. “It’s nice to see how that hard work is paying off at this meet against Montrose, a pretty big and fast team.”
The Demons didn’t win any events Friday, but testing themselves against a talented Montrose team helped motivate the swimmers for districts next week in Grand Junction.
“I definitely could’ve swam a little faster, but this is just a great meet to have before districts because you can have fun with your team before getting competitive at districts,” said DHS sophomore Tommy Pannell, son of Jim and Kathy Pannell.
Pannell took third in the 500-yard freestyle Friday in 5 minutes, 44.09 seconds. Montrose’s Connor King was first in the event at 5:12.34. Pannell also was third in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:13.66. Lars Knutson won that event in 1:57.11.
Paul Cross finished in second place in the 100-yard breaststroke for DHS on Friday. He finished 0.51 seconds behind first-place Korban Christianson of Montrose.
DHS finished second and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the Demons were second in the 200-yard medley relay. The 400-yard freestyle relay teams finished third and fourth.
Pannell is one of three DHS individuals qualified for the state tournament already. He has a qualifying time in the 200 freestyle.
Josh Miller is qualified in the 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. Swimmers only can pick two events to swim in the state tournament, along with two relays. He finished second in the 100-yard backstroke Friday in 1:00.68, .60 seconds behind Connor King of Montrose.
“The 100 breaststroke and 200 IM are my best events, so I’ll probably pick those to swim at state,” Josh Miller said. “I feel like I’m ready. I’ve worked hard all season, and I’m ready to go fast and ready to get some personal best times. I’m confident I can do well at state.”
Ben Miller, the sophomore brother of Josh Miller, is qualified in the 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle. He is hoping to earn a qualifying time in the 100 freestyle next week at districts, and he wants to swim that event and the 200 freestyle at state.
“I’m hoping to get some more qualifying times at districts so I have some more choices, and I’m only a half-second off in the 100 free right now,” Ben Miller said.
Ben Miller also is the lone diver on the DHS team. He took third Friday with 157.34 points. Ryan Ormsbee of Montrose won with a score of 245.17.
“It was a lot more comforting to dive in our home pool because I was already used to the board,” Ben Miller said. “It is a comforting meet.”
DHS also has qualified two relay teams for state, but because of the limits on individual events and relay events, DHS head coach Thomas Joyner said his team may have to scrap one of those relay teams.
“It is tough, but we still have one more opportunity to get state-qualifying times next week at districts, so hopefully some more guys can get in,” Joyner said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
