Teammates enjoy the sunshine at the swim meet.
Terese Butler
On Sunday, Jan. 26, 30 of SaddleBrooke Swim Club’s members descended on the U of A Hillenbrand Aquatic Center for the 30th annual Polar Bear Classic Masters swim meet. Due to the time of the year that this swim meet is held, it rightfully earns its name. This year, however, the team was lucky enough to be swimming on a sunny, clear day, with the highs in the upper 60s. The pleasant weather and the fact that the swim complex was renovated last year made it a delightful setting for the day’s events.
The team put in a formidable performance. Between the 30 participants, they amassed 44 first-place, 31 second-place, and 17 third-place finishes in the individual events! In the relay events, another eight first-place and two-second place finishes were recorded. Relays are always a lot of fun for team members to swim. Lyn Moreno, the swim club’s vice-president had this to say, “Relays remind us that we are a team despite the fact that swimming is usually an individual sport. Plus, as a team, we are the strongest!”
With the great results that the team posted, the swim club won the meet, more than doubling the number of points of any other participating teams. “The Polar Bear Classic is our first team swim meet of the year and is always a great tune-up for the upcoming season. With our members having such a good start to the season, I am hopeful that we will once again win the Arizona State Short Course Yard swim meet at the end of March”, said Head Coach Doug Springer.
If you are interested in learning more about the SaddleBrooke Swim Club for recreational or competitive swimming and their calendar for free swim lessons, you can visit their website at www.saddlebrookeswimclub.org.