On February 17 and 18th (this past Friday and Saturday) 6A teams from across the state of Texas competed at the UIL 2023 6A State Championship Swim Meet. Athletes got to compete at the UT swim center, where many Longhorn legends have come before them. Schools to watch included the Woodlands, Vandegrift, Keller, and our very own Anderson Trojans!
After a notable season, two of the Trojan relay teams qualified for state! The Girls 200 Medley Relay squad headed to the University of Texas Swim Center to fight for that state championship title. They came 5th in the call-up qualifiers with a time of 1:48.72, tying with 6th place Rockwall Heath. Swimmers Hadley Dodson, Elizabeth Ann Stromberger, Abbey Amato, and Phoebe Jaggers looked to put in their fastest time of the season to claim a top place in the championships.
The Trojan boys also qualified for the 400 Freestyle Relay with team Andres Brooks, Charlie Chussain, Dylan England, and Chase Hays. They placed 7th in the call-ups, swimming a 3:09.40, just ahead of Fort Bend Austin.
The athletes put forth a lot of time and effort to get to such a major meet. They must stay in shape year-round and train hard. Beyond exercising in the water, swimmers do dry land work, including calisthenics, to go that extra mile. Swimming is also a significant time commitment, with early mornings and late nights spent in the water, working to achieve a time that will qualify for state.
Behind all of the hard work and accomplishments the Trojans have had this year are two amazing coaches. Athletes explain that Coach Navarro keeps practice fun and organized, while Coach DeValk ensures the swimmers stay in shape and are performing to their best ability.
In support of those competing at state, members of Trojan swim made cards, and some are even going to the UT Swim Center to watch the relays. This meet promises to be exciting for our Trojan teams as they compete for a state title.
In order to qualify for finals, the teams must be on top of their game and surpass their competitors. The girls’ relay squad came 15th in the prelims on Friday, with a season-best time of 1:47.95. This time and placing allowed them to claim a spot in the finals on Saturday. The girls still had an excellent time in the finals, swimming a 1:48.30, but came in 15th yet again. This placing unfortunately did not allow the team to move on. Still, a huge congratulations to both teams, and the entire swim/dive program, for a fantastic season!
