Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — In a sport where winning is measured by fractions of a second, swimmer Cole Worsley admits it took a few moments to realized he had won the 50-meter freestyle at last week's Western Zone meet in Farmington, N.M.

"Everything moves pretty fast in the 50," Cole said. "You don't know if you've won right away - you have to look up (at the times) and figure it out."

When all the times in the finals appeared on a scoreboard at the championships, Cole's time of 25.11 seconds helped him top California swimmer Blake Langland (25.17) for the victory. It wasn't a personal best for the swimmer who was raised in Steamboat Springs, but it is the best finish of his young career.

"I was surprised when I won," Cole said. "I knew that I had one of the fastest times going into the event, but that doesn't guarantee that you're going to win."

His finish in the 50-meter freestyle highlighted a long list of top finishes in the 15- and 16-year-old division at the zone meet, which includes top-level swimmers from across the Western half of the United States.

Cole and his family live in Steamboat, but the swimmer has spent this summer training with the University of Denver's Hilltoppers Swimming Team. He also travels to Craig during the high school season where he competes with Moffat County High School. He will be a junior next season.

He has placed second several times at the Colorado state meet and is still looking for the elusive state title.

Cole's other top finishes in New Mexico included a second-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle where he posted a time of 55.40; an eighth-place finish in the 100-meter butterfly where he posted a time of 1 minute, 2.83 seconds; a 16th-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle where he finished with a time of 2:06.87; and an 18th-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke, where he finished with a time of 1:07.79.

"It was a great meet for Cole," said his mother and coach, Patti Worsley. "The finishes show just how far he has come over the last year."

This was the first time Cole has qualified for the Western Zone Meet, which came to a close Aug. 11. He says a more active training schedule and watching his brother Blake race with the University of Denver has influenced the way he prepares, trains and competes at meets.

Blake recently returned from the USA National Swimming Championships in Indianapolis from July 31 to Aug. 4.

He finished with personal best times in both the 100- and 200-meter freestyle events. Blake finished the 200 with a time of 1:54.51 and placed 73rd. He placed 80th in the 100 with a time of 52.14.

- To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com