Winter '19-20: Pool time is prized

It is a very odd situation.

Mullen girls swimmers and divers are ready to rock’-n-‘roll in the pool. The Mustangs have demonstrated it by finishing sixth at the Class 4A Colorado meet in 2017-18 and fourth in 2018-19.

However, they can’t swim and dive if they can’t get to a pool.

And they soon will have no pool.

Keep in mind the Mustangs already were unique to the sport in that the school has no pool on site.

The Mustangs host no home meets and were practicing at the Athmar Recreation Center. But as of Sunday, Dec. 7, the Athmar pool will be drained for weeks of maintenance.

Mustangs head coach Susan Stone is up front and honest about her team’s plight.

“I don’t know yet,” she said during preseason concerning her team’s practice availability. “I’m hoping that in December we can get to go to one pool and in January and February we can be in two pools.”

Her team’s options are limited. Initially, they have to have permission to use a pool and it’s not easy as, say, borrowing time on a baseball field or getting into an indoor facility. Stone said she has gotten a few sniffs in terms of having the ability to use a lane or two at a couple of pools, but even that would involve an uneven split for her team, at least a couple of practice sites.

Plus, access to some lanes would involve practicing later in the evening, which would eliminate use of an assistant coach who can’t make the time.

And splintering Stone’s team would perhaps do just that – splinter it.

As it was in preseason practice, Stone said “it was looking good” as she had 55 girls on the tam, 19 of them divers.

Anarose Schwamm. Gigi Zinis, Claire Chahbandour, Lindsey Sowitch, Rachel Rowland and Kendall West head the returnees. And look for sophomore transfer form Boulder Chase Davison, a top breaststroker.

“I think we can do at least as well (as they did last year),” Stone said of her Mustangs.

Mullen will begin on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Cherry Creek for a Centennial league dual meet at 5 p.m.

The regular season will run through Feb. 8, the second and final day of league championships.

The 4A championship meet will be Feb. 17-18 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Complex in Thornton.