State Swim and Dive
North Platte High School makes it to state for Swim and Dive
Junior Noah Short competes in the 100 freestyle.
April 26, 2023
The North Platte High School Swim and Dive team made it to state on this year. The girls team competed in the 200 Medley Relay, the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, the 100 Yard Freestyle Relay, and the 50 Yard Freestyle relay.
Competing in the 200 Medley Relay, Samantha Bales, Sydney Hatch, Kadence Dowhower, and Nora Wehr placed 21st with a time of 2:00.7.
In the 200 Yard Freestyle relay, Dana Sorenson, Sydney Hatch, Kaydence Dowhower, and Nora Wehr placed 19th with a time of 1:45.87.
In the 100 Yard Freestyle Relay Dana Sorenson placed 20th with a time of 55.25. Dana Soresnson also competed in the 50 Yard Freestyle placing 25th with a time of 25.66.
The boys team competed in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, the 200 Yard Medley Relay, the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, the 200 Yard IM, the 100 Yard Butterfly, and the 100 Yard Backstroke.
Competing in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, Cooper Leibhart, David Fitzpatrick, Noah Short, and Tanner Schmid-Sutton placed 19 with a time of 3:33.19.
In the 200 Yard Medley, Cooper Leibhart, Noah Short, Tanner Schmid- Sutton, and Luke Tegtmeier placed 15th with a time of 1:44.76.
In the 200 Yard Freestyle Luke Tegtmeier, Robert (RJ) Stefka, Noah Short, and David Fitzpatrick placed 26th with a time of 1:38.30.
Competing in the 200 Yard IM Cooper Leibhart placed 22nd with a time of 22:08.13.
Tanner Schmid- Sutton placed 13th with a time of 54.67 in the 100 Butterfly.
Schmid-Sutton also placed 12th with a time of 55.09 in the 100 Yard backstroke.
“We qualified one relay for finals,” Junior Noah Short said.” We qualified for the 200 medley for finals and we got 15th.”
Short comments that it is a big deal that they made it to finals. “It’s the first time we’ve done it in like 15 years.”
The team has learned to play to their strengths, as each different type of relay is better suited for different swimmers.
“Like for me, I’m really bad at backstroke.” Short said, “But Cooper Leibhart and Tanner they’re both really good at it. I think overall, the hardest ones are the 200 because that one’s really technical, and if you do anything wrong, like in any of your strokes, you can get too disqualified.”
“Individually I like swimming the 100 free to because it’s basically the thing I can compare to the most. It’s like the mile on track. It’s like a distance but like you can hold a good pace for it. And by the end of it, you’re exhausted but you’re like that was good. I enjoyed that.”
State was not only a good meet for the team, but it was also an excellent trip.
“I really liked just the competing, because it was interesting, this is the most amount that I competed in, in a year.”
The team had fun competing, and the fact that this is the first time in 15 years that the team has made it to finals for a state event surprised Short.
“Honestly what was really cool was when we found out that we qualified for finals because for our coach, he’s never had anyone qualify for finals in all of his years of coaching.” Short said, “That was that was a pretty cool moment.”
