The
Pima County Swim Team will end its season Saturday, July 22, at the
Wade McLean Pool at Marana High School with its championship swim meet.
Approximately 700 swimmers will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in the Championship Meet, the culmination of a season that started May 30 and places more emphasis on fun than freestyle, said Grant Bourguet, who manages the program for Pima County’s
Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department.
Gates open at 6 a.m. at Wade McLean Pool, 12000 W. Emigh Road. Warm-ups begin at 7 a.m. and the first race starts at 8 a.m. with competitions expected to last till about 2 p.m.
The program comprises nine teams of swimmers age 5 to 18 from around the county. Meets are held every Saturday. Cost for the entire summer, including practices and meets, is $20.
The 2017 swim teams are:
- Ajo Desert Sharks
- Catalina Rattlers
- Flowing Wells Dolphins
- Kino Tsunami
- Los Ninos Piranhas
- Manzanita Torpedoes
- Marana Marlins
- Thad Terry Stingrays
- Wade McLean Tiger Sharks
Other swim programs may be more competitive, Bourguet said, requiring swimmers to compete in prelims (preliminary, qualifying races) in order to advance to finals. That’s not the philosophy of the county’s program.
“We hold true to the fact that it’s a novice program,”
Bourguet said. The program’s goal is putting youngsters in the pool and “getting them excited about swimming.”
To learn more about the Pima County Swim Program, visit the
Swim Team website. You can also check out the
Pima County Swim Team Facebook page for the program with lots of photos of the 2017 season.
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