Hays Hurricanes race to strong finishes this summer

The Hays Hurricanes will end the summer season with strong finishes for many of their swimmers. Two 10-year-old swimmers — Amelia Jaeger and Zach Smith — will close the season and make their first appearances competing at the 2015 USA Swimming Central Zone Long-Course Championship Meet from July 31 through Aug. 2 in Topeka.

Throughout the 2015 season, Jaeger has qualified to swim five events — 50 M free, 50 M fly, 50 M back, 100 M free and 100 M back. Smith has qualified for three events — 50 M back, 100 M fly and 200 M medley. The Zone Championship meet is the highest level meet for the Central Zone, made up of 16 states and boasts close to 90,000 swimmers. Those swimming at Zone meets have a chance to qualify for Junior Nationals.

Amelia Jaeger, Coach A.J. Brown and Zach Smith

Along with their upcoming competition in Topeka, Hurricanes swimmers, Jaeger and Smith, along with older brother Isaac Smith, will join four more swimmers to represent Western Kansas Swim Club at the 2015 Missouri Valley Long-Course Championships from July 24 to 26 in Lawrence. Jaeger and Zach Smith will swim seven events, while Isaac will be swimming four.

The regular season ended last weekend in Garden City at the Western Kansas Swim Club Combined meet.

The two-day meet had 384 participating swimmers. Jaeger swam away with six first-place finishes in 50 M free, 50 M fly, 200 M medley, 100 M free, 50 M back, 200 M free and a fourth-place finish in the 50 M breast. Jaeger was the female 9- and 10-year-old high point individual in WKSC. Thirteen-year-old Megan Flavin finished strong with two first-place finishes in the 50 M free and 100 M free; a second place finish in the 200 M free; three fifth-place finishes in the 100 M fly, 200 M medley and 100 M back; and an 11th place finish in the 100 M breast.

Yesenia Maldonado, 13, ended the season with a third-place finish in the 50 M free and two eighth- and 10th-place finishes in the 200 M free, medley, 100 M back and breast, respectively. Seven-year old, Tygh Jaeger swam to a 10th and 21st place finish in the 50 M back and breast stroke. Flavin and Maldonado, along with two other Hurricanes, will join other swimmers from around western Kansas to represent WKSC, this weekend at the MV Long-Course District meet in Manhattan.

The Hays Hurricanes Swim Team is a member of the Western Kansas Swim Club and competes within the Missouri Valley Swimming and USA Swimming organizations. The Hurricanes are composed of swimmers (age 5 to 18), parents, coaches and volunteers and was established in 1975.