Malta Swim Team Sending Eight to State Meet in Conrad This Weekend

The Malta Swim Team took eleven swimmers to the 2023 Montana Federation of Swimmers Eastern Divisional meet last weekend and eight of them qualified for state this upcoming weekend.

"I would say that they did really good," Malta Swim Team Head Coach Darrow Messerly said. "It was a big learning curve for a lot of them and it was a lot of the kid's first (postseason) meet, so it was more about experiencing the fun part of swim team, towards the end of the year."

The 2023 Montana Federation of Swimmers State Meet is slated for Saturday, July 29 through Sunday, July 30, in Conrad.

"It's a really nice pool and it's in a really good area to host a state meet," Coach Messerly said.

To qualify for state, swimmers had to place in the top 12 of their individual events and in the top four in relay team events.

Kael Young and his younger brother Silas Young both qualified in every event that they entered.

Kael led all Malta swimmers with 23 points. He was fourth in the Boys 15-19 100 Meter Freestyle Finals with a time of 1:05.17. He was sixth in the 50 Meter Freestyle with a time of 28.66 in the finals and sixth in the 50 Meter Flystroke with a time of 35.50 in the finals.

Silas was fifth in the 100 Meter Breaststroke with a time of 1:35.85 in the finals. He was also eighth in the 100 Meter Free with a time of 1:16.92 in the finals. He was also ninth in the 50 Meter Free with a time of 33.14 in the finals.

Jayne Young was fourth in the Girls 9-10 50 Meter Freestyle with a time of 42.47 in the finals. She was also eighth in the 50 Meter Backstroke with a time of 53.02. She just missed placing in the 50 Meter Breaststroke with a time of 1:05.70.

The Girls 9-10 Freestyle Relay team consisting of Mariah Hould, Elle Newman, J. Young, and Erin Solberg took fourth place.

Taya Wilke was fifth in the Girls 11-12 200 Meter Individual Medley with a time of 3:41.42. Wilke was also eighth in the 50 Meter Backstroke with a time of 45.59 in the finals.

Aubrie Norville qualified in the Girls Eight and Under 50 Meter Freestyle with a time of 1:02.57 in the finals.

Mariah Hould was 11th in the Girls 9-10 100 Meter Free with a time of 1:47.06 in the finals.

Cecelie Norville, a five-year-old competed in the Girls Eight and Under 25 Meter Freestyle and 50 Meter Freestyle and had times of 41.98 and 2:27.38 respectively.

Ellie Norville had a time of 52.62 in the Girls 9-10 50 Meter Freestyle, 2:02.41 in the 100 Meter Free, and 1:08.52 in the 50 Meter Backstroke.

Emma Solberg had a time of 31.87 in the Girls Eight and Under 25 Meter Free, 1:21.43 in the 50 Meter Freestyle, and 37.52 in the 25 Meter Backstroke.

Erin Solberg had a time of 2:01.36 in the Girls 9-10 100 Meter Free, 1:03.61 in the 50 Meter Backstroke, and 1:39.96 in the 50 Meter Breaststroke.

E. Newman nearly qualified in the Girls Eight and Under 25 Meter Freestyle, placing thirteenth with a time of 27.72 in the preliminaries.

For a bit of fun, Coach Messerly was challenged to see if he could hold his breath underwater longer than three of his swimmers. If he couldn't then he would have to swim the distance of a mile in last Monday's practice. He was defeated by Ellie, Mariah, and Erin.

"They all beat me," Coach Messerly said.