The Summer USA Club swim season ended Aug. 7 with the Senior State meet (for swimmers 15 and older) in Rochester, Minn. The previous weekend was the Age Group State meet (for swimmers ages 8-14) also in Rochester, which allowed local swimmers to compete against the top swimmers in the state.
Sauk Rapids swimmers included the following: Valeria Flores Bonilla, Stephen, Simon and Micah Davis, Dominic Kremer, Ethan and Arica Moriak, Cris Villagra, Cash Walz, Lydia and Hayden Zabinksi who competed with the St. Cloud YMCA Gator Swim Team, kept very busy leading up to the State Meets, competing in more than 20 different meets. Some of the meets were fun intrasquad meets while others were high-level meets for swimmers attempting to achieve time cuts for the Olympic Time Trials.
The season ended with the Minnesota Regional Championships in Austin, Minn. July 22-24 with Cash Walz, and Stephen, Simon and Micah Davis representing the St. Cloud Gator Swim Team. Together they brought home 10 medals which were awarded for placing in the top eight of their event.
Micah Davis qualified to compete in eight events (seven is the max you can compete in, though) at the State Meet in the age 10 and under category July 29-31 in Rochester. He finished in the top 16 for six of his seven events, medaling with a second-place finish in the 100 fly, sixth place in the 100 back, seventh place in the 50 fly. As a whole, the St. Cloud YMCA Gator Swim Team had a wonderful finish at the state finals between both the Age Group State and the Senior State with 20 top-16 finishes, 11 of which were top eight. Pictured from left to right: Simon, Stephen and Micah Davis with their medals from Minnesota Regional Championships in Austin.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The following participants won tickets to this year’s Bluegrass Festival: Donna Balaski (Waite Park); Dustin Betsinger (St. Joseph); Lisa Boe (Sartell); Doreen Bohm (Sartell); Lorri Carlson (St. Joseph); Sandra Cordie (Sartell); Rita Dingman (St. Joseph); Suzanne Glazos (Sartell); Vince Goering (Rice); Linda Harambasic (Sauk Rapids); Ellen Howe (Sartell); Nadine Martin (Sartell); Lisa Meyer (St. Joseph); Jonathan Kohan (St. Joseph); Gary Stommes (Sauk Rapids) and Michael Svensson (Sartell).