Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat Springs' year-round competitive swim team may have lost one-quarter of its members since a meet in mid-October, but that hasn't stopped its remaining high school athletes from posting impressive times at USA Swimming-sanctioned events.

Coach Patti Worsley said practicing six days a week at the Old Town Hot Springs paid off for her four-member team at the Fall Harvest meet Oct. 13 to 16 in Loveland.

"Cody (Poirot) improved all his times and had personal bests in every one of his races. To drop times in every event is a significant accomplishment," Worsley said. "Cole (Worsley) got his personal two best times in the 100 free, 200 free and almost had his best time in the 50."

In the boys 50-meter freestyle finals, Cole Worsley took fourth place, Zach Ruppel took ninth and Poirot took 21st.

Lexie Ruppel's performance in the girls 100-meter backstroke finals highlighted Steamboat's showing. Ruppel won the race against a field of more than 40 swimmers. Her time was 1 minute and 2.29 seconds.

Because of shoulder injuries, Lexie Ruppel plans to take the upcoming scholastic season off and will swim again when the summer swim season begins in April. Patti Worsley thinks doing so will help her chances of healing and enable her to post times that will attract the attention of colleges.

With the slimmer roster, only Cole Worsley and senior Zach Ruppel competed in the MACS Fall Invitational meet last weekend in Littleton. Zach Ruppel raced four events, and Cole Worsley raced six, again finishing fourth in the 50-meter freestyle.

Patti Worsley said the team will continue training hard in preparation for the culminating meet of its fall season - the North JeffCo Winter Open in Arvada during the first weekend in December.

Patti Worsley encouraged anyone interested in competitive swimming during the scholastic season to accompany Steamboat's swimmers to preliminary boys and girls team meetings Thursday in Craig. Call 871-9476.

- To reach Dave Shively, call 871-4253 or e-mail dshively@steamboatpilot.com