The Haines Dolphins swim team had 19 participants in the annual Winter Games last weekend at the pool.
About 60 swimmers from Juneau also competed at the meet.
“With the volunteers and the parents, it went really, really well,” said Dolphins coach Tyler Wyatt. “The meet went by fast and very smoothly, with no hitches, and the pool was repaired and looked really good.”
The pool closed for a week in mid-January to replace a sand filter, but that didn’t stop Haley Sweet-Cushing, 10, and Siyel Galindo-George, 9, from achieving two “outstanding” swims at the meet, Wyatt said.
Galindo-George won the 200-yard freestyle, in 3 minutes and 18 seconds.
Sweet-Cushing placed second in the 500-yard freestyle, with a time of 7 minutes and 33 seconds.
Wyatt noted Sweet-Cushing, Alexandria Chapin, Marty Fowler, Rebekah Green, Brennan Palmieri and Skye Posey bested USA Swimming national time standards at the meet.
“It’s a motivational time standard, and it’s for everybody in the country,” he said. “The bigger the meet, the faster the meet, and they use these national time standards to qualify for those meets.”
Overall, the Dolphins entered 102 events and posted 57 personal best times. They also showed strong technique, picking up only eight disqualifications, despite trying 32 swims for the first time, Wyatt said.
The squad is scheduled to compete in Juneau later this month.