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'Friendly' rivals tangle as Bison swim-dive visits North Platte
ORTH PLATTE, Neb. — For years - if not decades, the North Platte-McCook swim dual at the North Platte Recreational Center has ended with a “fun-run relay” between the two friendly rivals.
Part of the Rec Center’s pool depth is not legal for dive-in starts, so in-water starts are used for every race.
This means times are not as competitive so swimmers try races they may not normally do during the season, relay teams are made up off different team members and the meet finishes with the fun relay.
With the athletes running instead of swimming the length of the pool in the shallow lanes, it has always been an event the swimmers and spectators look forward to cap off an evening that also honors North Platte’s seniors.
But at Thursday’s North Platte/McCook dual, scaffolding and construction equipment outside hinted at the new pool being built, which means the end of the running relay between the two teams.
The North Platte Rec Center is undergoing a major renovation, including a new 10-lane pool with starting blocks and adequate depth, hence an end to the fun-relays.
The North Platte swim team will start next season in the old pool but will probably finish the season in the new pool, including hosting a regulation swim meets.
But even without starting blocks at Thursday’s meet, the swimmers still attacked the meet with a competitive attitude, McCook coach Jon Graff said.
“We competed well against our friends from North Platte,” Graff sad. “The times were a bit slower because we don’t use blocks at the Rec Center but the kids swim different events which is really neat for them.”
A few highlights included sprinters taking on long-distance swim events.
Senior Kevin Bantam, who attends Medicine Valley but swims for the Bison, was joined by Blake Rodewald and Aaron Spencer in the 500 yard freestyle, all them swimming the longer event for the first time this season.
Tate Moser and Derick Spencer both tackled the 100 yard butterfly for the first time competitively this year.
“It’s just a nice meet where we swim different things and it is pretty relaxed for all of us,” Graff said, adding,
“It’s kind of a nice little break toward the end of the season before we head into the home stretch.”
He noted that the only meets left are a home meet next Friday, followed by the conference meet in Hastings the following week and then headed to Lincoln for the state meet at the end of February at Lincoln’s Devaney Center.
“So it is a good time for the kids to just take one last little rest before they really put the pedal to the metal for the next few weeks,” Graff said.
While swimming times may be a bit slower, the diving competition is still conducted as usual with divers performing 11 dives at the North Platte pool on Thursday.
McCook claimed first for both the girls and boys, although it was a foregone conclusion on the boys side with no North Platte divers.
“Perhaps most impressive was that all four McCook divers finished with personal best scores,” Graff said, “which is the goal throughout the season.”
Emma Graff claimed first place for the girls, while teammate Maryann Kassner was close behind for second.
For the boys, Axel Blomstedt continues to improve each meet and won first with Eli Graff passed the 200-point threshold for the first time this season.
McCook hosts its final swim and dive meet of the season next Friday, Feb. 7, at the McCook YMCA.
“We are excited to have a full week to prepare for our final home meet, where we look to set and improve some state times,” Graff said.
The swim and dive meet is free and open to the public.
Diving will begin at 2 p.m. with swim events scheduled for approximately 4:30 p.m. McCook seniors, along with their parents, will be honored mid-meet.