On January 8th, the Coronado girls swim team suffered a devastating loss of 93-92 against Liberty. “It was really close and we all fought really hard,” said team captain, Mia Shaeffer.

Despite last night’s loss, the girls “had some great races,” and are “really coming together” according to Shaeffer. They had a lot of impressive performances, including Lauren Grybowski’s diving, for which she scored 227.65 points – almost 80 points higher than the second place competitor. Mia Shaeffer also competed well, winning the 50 freestyle by more than a second – an incredible feat in such a short race. Stephanie Boyd also had an impressive victory in the 100 butterfly, winning by about two seconds. The Liberty girls, however, retaliated with first place finishes in 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, and 200 freestyle.

As it became clear the meet would be close, pressure on the 400 freestyle relay, the last race of the meet, intensified. The Cougars managed to secure a victory, thanks to the efforts of Leanne Telle, Stephanie Boyd, Mia Shaeffer, and Naomi Shaw. “We had a great last relay and we had a lot of people who swam events that weren’t their best. It was great to see people step up step up and swim races that weren’t their favorite” said Shaeffer of the meet.

The girls have had a strong season, with a league winning streak of 3-1 and an overall record of 3-2. They’re determined to not lose the momentum they’ve gained and continue to stay confident as they prepare for the league and state championships.

The team will compete again January 11th in Pueblo’s Hornet Invitational. They will also have another home meet on Tuesday, January 15th. Be there to support your fellow Cougars when they face Pine Creek!