Nine swimmers, four club, five high school, showed off their strength and endurance in their home race on Friday, January 10^th.

The AHS swim team is the smallest in the western slope, and they have three girls who have already qualified for states, Kelcie Gerson, Kelli Callahan, and Kennedy Quist, and four beginning swimmers who are already succeeding above expectations.

“My goal for beginners to have them break 1:30 before the end of the season and every girl already did that within the first two meets,” head coach Kathleen Callahan said.

All of the AHS seniors have different plans for next year in how they will continue to keep swimming an aspect of their lives. Kelcie Gerson, one of the top performing swimmers, plans to swim at Columbia University next year and compete as a D1 swimmer. Joana Opsina and Abbie Clark hope to participate in a club or intermural team at a university.

One team member, Nina Christensen, experienced a severe shoulder injury that forced her to quit the team in late November. Before she hurt her shoulder she worked out with the coach during the summer.

“She met me at six in the morning. She was extremely dedicated,” Callahan said.

Christensen was forced to take the rest of the season off to rest and heal.

“To have one of our top swimmers have this terrible shoulder injury end her career is such a bummer. She will truly be missed,” Callahan said.

As far as the team goes next year, Callahan expects it to grow. Four middle school club swimmers will join the team next year and she is hopeful all of the girls who are not graduating will return. The team expects to do well throughout the rest of the season because of their dedicated team members and strong athletes.