The Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate swim team is looking to build off its experience as it opens the 2024-2025 season this week.
The Lady Pirates — with the majority of last year’s squad back in the water this year — will dive into action at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, with a meet in Delta and the following morning with a 10:30 a.m. matchup with Gunnison.
Both competitions are slated to be held at Delta’s rec center.
This year’s roster boasts 17 Lady Pirates, according to coach Heather Miller.
Miller notes in an email to The SUN that the majority of last year’s team is back, with the team missing last year’s two senior swimmers and two swimmers who moved, and gained six new swimmers — some of whom have previous swimming experience.
“So overall most of the team is pretty experienced and we had many of the new swimmers come out for preseason,” Miller wrote. “This allowed us to start out the season with some really good training which the team has responded to very well.”
This year, the coach explains, the team has started off with “some really challenging training to help build a good base.”
That, she wrote, has already resulted in “great” improvements in biweekly test sets and time trials.
“We will [continue] with some challenging practices but will also really focus on [improving] speed as we go into our early season meets,” she wrote.
Miller also credits the team with being very motivated and an extremely hardworking group.
She notes that the team has a “very good chance” of having a relay or two qualify for state and, “with how well pre season and the beginning of the season has gone, there is also a possibility that we get an [individual] or two qualified for state.”
Schedule
The following schedule was accurate as of press time, but is subject to change.
After this week’s action in Delta, the Lady Pirates will have one final meet in 2024, set for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17, against Sargent at Adams State University.
The team will also open the 2025 season at Adams State University against Sargent, with the Lady Pirates set to return to competition at 4 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2025.
On Jan. 10, 2025, the team will take on Montrose at the Montrose Rec Center at 5 p.m.
On Jan. 17, 2025, the team will be back in Delta, this time taking on the Panthers at 3 p.m.
The following day, the Lady Pirates will take part in the Grand Junction Invite at Colorado Mesa University beginning at 11 a.m.
The team will be in action at the Durango Rec Center on Jan. 24 and 25, 2025, beginning at 3 p.m. on Jan. 24 and 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 25.
The team will cap off the regular season at the Western Slope conference meet at Colorado Mesa University on Jan. 31, 2025, at 6 p.m. and Feb. 1, 2025, at 9 a.m.
This season’s state meet is slated for Feb. 7 and 8, 2025.
randi@pagosasun.com
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