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    Duncanville swim team qualifies for regional meet

    The girls swim team finished second overall in the district meet. Several girls finished with personal best times. (Chrystal Rhone photo)
    Photo by tions
    The girls swim team finished second overall in the district meet. Several girls finished with personal best times. (Chrystal Rhone photo)

     

    The girls swim team finished second overall in the district meet. Several girls finished with personal best times. (Chrystal Rhone photo)

    The swim team will head to Keller for the  regional competitions Friday to participate in all of their district qualifying events.  While the path to get there wasn’t always easy, head swim coach Teresa Chumbley said hard work has paid off for the team.

     

    “They’ve really worked hard as a whole team,” Chumbley said.  “We’ve come a long way this year as individuals and a team.”


    Chumbley has been with the group for more than a year and a half now. While she said she is really pleased with the way this season has turned out so far, getting there was a different story as the team has faced a lot of difficulties including working together in what is primarily know as an individual sport.

     

    “With swimming it is difficult to preach team because they’re by themselves in the water swimming each race,” Chumley said.

     

    However, Chumbley said the team was able to overcome this struggle and  work together.  Senior Paul Johnson said he recognizes the camaraderie that developed this year between the swimmers.

     

    “This season I’m most proud of how the team has come together” Johnson said. “Everyone needs encouragement and we’ve been letting each other know how proud we are  about how good we’ve been doing.”

     

    The encouragement is what helped the team get results at the district meet where the girls placed second overall and all six relays qualified for the Regional meet. While the competition was tough, Chumbley said the team knew what needed to be done and did their best which for most of them included swimming some of their best times.

     

    “I was really happy for them. Everyone contributed that day. Everybody stepped it up and every single kid except for two swam their personal bests that day,” Chumbley said. “They really just did exactly what needed to be done, and it was awesome.”

     

    Swimming personal bests was the special moment for Johnson who shaved five seconds off of his 50 meter freestyle time, and junior Maddie Samples poster her best time in the 50 meter freestyle to become the district champion.

     

    “When I started  I was at 26 seconds and finishing at the top,” Samples said.  ” I would like to be at 25.06 before regionals and that should drop more after that.”

     

    Looking forward to regionals and Chumbley said being smart about the game plan is the goal for the team.

     

    “We will see more difficult competition at the regionals,” Chumbley said. “I just keep telling the students to Swim clean. Swim smart. Swim fast.”

     

    District swim meet photos

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