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    Bartosh to represent swim team at state meet in breast stroke

    Bartosh to represent swim team at state meet in breast stroke
    Junior Catherine Bartosh will represent the swim team at this month's State meet after winning the breast stroke event at the Regional meet. (Chrystal Rhone photo)

    Junior Catherine Bartosh will represent the swim team at the state swim meet in Austin Feb. 24/25 after finishing first in the 100 breast stroke at the regional meet.

    “I am very proud and happy for Catherine because she works very hard,” coach Theresa Chumbley, “She spends about three hours a day in the water. She is a great example for her team mates on how hard work, determination, and spirit pay off.”

    Although Bartosh is the only swimmer who will advance to this months State meet, Chumbley said she is proud of the team who had several swimmers advance to the regional meet and place.

    “This year’s team works very hard. They get here early in the morning and some come back in the afternoon and swim again with the club team,” Chumbley said. “Most of our swimmers are also involved in other activities at the school as well. They represented themselves and the school very well at the regional level.”

    The year did not go without notice as Chumbley admits the swimmers improved every meet including at the regional meet.

    “They did an amazing job this year,” Chumbley said. “Most of the kids set personal bests and I was very proud of them.”

    Even while being one of the top prospects headed into the regional meet, Bartosh still had a bit of anxiety before the district and regional meets.

    “I was nervous at the district meet,” Bartosh said. “But I knew that I had prepared very well for the meet and so had the team so I knew we were going to come out with really good results”

    The team had a strong performance in the district swim meet, in which 17 out of 24 swimmers qualified for regionals.

    “I was ecstatic,” Chumbley said, “The kids have worked really hard and I was super proud that so many of them did so well.”

    The team was optimistic about performing well at regionals and was confident and supportive about each other in their individual events.

    “Most of our team is pretty good, there were some things everyone needed to work on before Regionals came,” sophomore Maddie Samples said, “but everyone obviously made it this far because they’ve been working hard.”

    Two out of the four swimmers on the boys’ relay team are first year swimmers who qualified for Regionals. Junior Keenan Blair is already a student athlete, but says swimming is a different challenge.

    “It’s a big transition because football comes natural to me, so when I go to swimming I have to get on my mindset that I have to work at this because it’s not what I’m accustom to,” Blair said. “It feels good because I feel I’ve accomplished things that people who have been swimming for years haven’t.”

    For junior Victor Lima, not only is it his first year swimming, but also his first year at the high school from Brazil.

    “I used to swim in Brazil when I was a kid, when I came here I didn’t have anything to do so I got back in swimming and I’ve been working hard and it’s been a great experience,” Lima said. “The guys are really good, so working with them was good. They accepted me and were friendly with me because I took the spot of someone who had been swimming here for a couple years.

     

    Chumbley is proud of how her kids have worked through out the season and that despite the number disadvantage they face, they are still able to keep up.

    “I am proud of our team, they work very hard,” Chumbley, ”They get here early in the morning and some come back in the afternoon and swim again with the club team. Most of our swimmers are also involved in other activities at Duncanville. They represented themselves and the school well.”

     

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