Malta Swim Team Qualifies Eight for State Meet

The Malta Swim Team competed at the Eastern Divisional in Lewistown last weekend, Saturday, July 24 to Sunday, July 25, qualifying eight swimmers to go on to the state meet in Columbia Falls over next weekend.

Swimmer/Coach Darrow Messerly said, "Things went pretty well this weekend. I believe everyone swam the best they have all season. Lessons were learned, just like in every other Divisional meet. But overall, I'd say everybody gave their all, and I'm pretty pleased with their performances."

To qualify for the state meet, swimmers had to finish in the top 12 at the divisional meet.

The following list is of the swimmers that qualified for state, the events they qualified for the state meet in, and the place they got at the divisional meet.

Jahmiah Huffman LaBrie: 200 Ind. Med.- 2nd, 50 Backstroke – 2nd, 50 Fly – 2nd; Darrow Messerly: 200 Ind. Med. – 2nd, 50 Free – 7th, 100 Breaststroke – 2nd; Jayne Young: 25 Freestyle – 7th, 100 Breast – 2nd; Taya Wilke: 50 Breast – 5th, 50 Back – 11th; Silas Young: 50 Free – 7th, 50 Breast – 8th, 100 Free – 6th; Kael Young: 50 Free – 3rd, 100 Free – 5th, 50 Fly – 7th; Reese Brown: 50 Free – 11th, 100 Breast – 6th, 100 Free – 9th; Makiya Wilke: 100 Breast – 7th, 100 Free – 10th, 100 Back – 4th.

When Messerly was asked how this season has been being both a swimmer and coach, he said, "Doing both roles this year has been both different and memorable for sure. I really like the fact that I can teach the kids the knowledge I've learned over the years. While also getting to show them how I do it as a swimmer in practice and competitions. I'm very thankful that I've been given the opportunity to do this, and it's not something I will forget for a while."