In it to win it: Evergreen girls swimming attributes success to team’s family spirit

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Members of Evergreen’s swim and dive team know they are in it together.

e 32 swimmers and ve divers won the 3A state championship for the fth year in a row last month, continuing to show their dominance in the sport, and they want to continue that winning tradition. Of the entire team, 12 swimmers and three divers competed, and their combined total 422 points handily defeated second-place Discovery Canyon with 333 points.

Four swimmers and a diver the Canyon Courier interviewed said everyone — coaches, swimmers and divers — is all about being a team.

When they talk about their time swimming and diving for Evergreen, they don’t talk about their times or their records; they talk about their team family.

When you’re on a high school team, they said, you’re swimming for your school and for your team, not for yourself.

“At meets, we’re united,” senior Alyssa Cook said. “We want to help the team.”

Most of the swimmers started in the sport at a young age, and they say they quickly learned that swimming was an all-consuming sport with no room for additional sports or a lot of other activities.

For diver Julia Swanke, diving was an extension of the gymnastics she had done most of her life.

While practices can be di cult, the athletes continue because of the relationships they build among fellow athletes and with their coaches.

“It’s a very uplifting community,” said freshman Tally Riddle. “ ey’re fun to be around.” e Cougars said that building team camaraderie starts with the seniors who are welcoming and encouraging to the younger athletes.

“When I was a freshman, they were super nice and welcoming,” junior Finley Anderson said. “ at is brought down to the younger swimmers. e seniors try hard to include us.”

Senior Lisca De Jager said time trials were nerve-wracking for new swimmers, but the upperclassmen encourage them to get through the process.

Advice to other swimmers, divers e athletes suggest that teammates should cherish the little moments.

“I think back to when I was little,” Anderson said. “I wanted to be in high school, and that time ies by. It gets pretty crazy in high school. It’s such an amazing experience and something I will never forget.”

Riddle suggested that swimmers put in the work, knowing there would be bad and good days.

“ ey will continue to grow, and it will work out in the end,” she said.

Swanke encouraged high school students to try something new like she did when she went out for the dive team.

De Jager called swimming a sport for people of all abilities, no matter whether they are fast and break records or swim for exercise.

Cook suggested that students try swimming because it’s a good sport both physically and mentally.

“I get a lot out of it, and my bests memories are of the team,” she said.

Coaches’ perspective

While the Cougar athletes talked about family, their coaches talked about their talent and putting the team rst.

First-year head coach Steve

Schneiter said he knew of Evergreen’s legacy when he took the coaching job, and he knew there were strong swimmers. What he didn’t know was just how strong they are.

“ e secret to their success is that success builds on success,” added Liz Hudd, who was the Cougars’ swim coach for 21 years before retiring in 2021. “We have a culture of belonging. e team is not just for the elite swimmers. We have swimmers at all levels, and they all feel welcome and supported and part of the team.”

Schneiter agreed, noting that building a welcoming team culture was a priority.

Hudd and last year’s head coach

Lisa state meet to support the team.

Morrow attributed the team’s success to the swimmers’ work ethic and their understanding of what it takes to be champions.

“We build on character, con dence and camaraderie,” she said. “ e seniors are great leaders, and the team is all about encouraging each other to do their best.”

An outstanding future e Cougar athletes and coaches

foresee more strong seasons and maybe even more state championships in their future, saying the legacy has been built by their predecessors. Since many high school swimmers swim for the Evergreen Hurricanes club team, they see some of the middle school swimmers who will join them in the next few years.

“It will be an adjustment when the seniors go to college, but we will welcome new swimmers to the team,” Riddle said.

Decisions, decisions...

PINE – Boyfriend’s been living in the house for many years, Girlfriend for only a few. e way Girlfriend told it to deputies on Jan. 1, Boyfriend has been acting “increasingly crazy” just lately, and that day he’d shaken her out of a sound sleep to demand she pack her things and hit the dusty trail. Perfectly aware that their relationship was on the skids, and presumably alarmed by Boyfriend’s erratic behavior, Girlfriend decided it was time she “got away” from the situation, only she didn’t have the scratch to set up housekeeping somewhere else. Boyfriend told her he was “tired of paying your bills” and would be happy to meet Girlfriend at his bank and withdraw whatever cash she thought she’d need to start life afresh without him, and it was on the way to the bank that Girlfriend decided to call the cops. After turning it over in her mind, she told deputies, she decided she’d like to stay in the house and make Boyfriend move out. Deputies explained to Girlfriend that Boyfriend enjoyed what could be thought of as senior residency rights, and that in light of his willingness to bankroll her departure it made more sense that she bunk elsewhere. Deputies stood by as Girlfriend collected a few personal belongings, and as they left the house Boyfriend o ered Girlfriend a thick bundle of bills. “(Nuts to) you!” hissed Girlfriend, too proud to accept the alms. She proudly marched out to her car, proudly drove to the end of the driveway, and proudly stopped there until a deputy walked over to nd out if there was a problem. After brief consultation, the o cer walked back up to where Boyfriend stood and informed him that Girlfriend had decided to take the money after all.

The hardest word EVERGREEN – On Jan. 31, a problematic patron got sideways with the convenience store sta and was formally banished from the premises for ever and all time. On Feb. 1, she came back to the store and feigned “surprise” to discover that “all time” includes tomorrow. She left again, but not before snatching a handful of newspapers o of a rack near the door and throwing them to the oor. Apparently believing that she might yet recover her mini-mart privileges by a timely show of contrition, she came back to the store a third time ostensibly “to apologize,” but was barred entry by an employee who gured three strikes was enough and called JCSO. She explained to responding deputies that while she couldn’t go inside the store and apologize, she saw no good reason the o cers couldn’t go inside and apologize on her behalf. Deputies were pleased to oblige so long as she understood that a second-hand sorry wasn’t going to win the hearts of the sta and get her back into the mini-mart, nor excuse her from appearing in court on trespassing charges.

About faces

EVERGREEN – Delilah said she was afraid of her neighbor, Dash. Delilah said Dash used to work for her until he got caught committing “fraud.” She said he accosted her while she was shoveling her driveway on Feb. 1 and called her “trash.” She said he told her to “stick a shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger.” Delilah said there were “issues” between them and she wanted him charged with harassment. She said Dash owns rearms and she wanted to le a restraining order against him. In the spirit of fair play, deputies o ered Dash a chance to answer Delilah’s accusations. Dash admitted there’s no love lost between their respective households, but denied stoking the res of the feud. at morning, Dash told deputies, Delilah had been deliberately “taunting” him by “making faces,” and he’d politely suggested that she “mind your own business.” Stuck fast between shesaid and he-said, deputies advised Delilah to query the civil courts regarding restraining orders and closed the case.

Sheri ’s Calls is intended as a humorous take on some of the incident call records of the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce for the mountain communities. Names and identifying details have been changed. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.

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