Bree Van Etten
The Green River High School Girls Swimming and Diving team competed in two meets this past weekend, showcasing their abilities at both the Rock Springs meet on Friday and their home invitational on Saturday.
Despite not sending the full team to Rock Springs, the swimmers performed admirably. According to Head Coach Colleen Seiloff, "We didn't swim our whole team there. We kind of had to send some and not others based on our schedule this year."
Seiloff explained the strategic decision to limit entries to manage their busy calendar, which includes 19 meets, but added that "the ones that went over there did really well. It was a good competition."
Saturday's home meet brought the entire team together to face several other schools, including Kemmerer, Lyman, Rock Springs, and Evanston. Seiloff expressed satisfaction with her team's performance, noting that many swimmers are "getting closer to picking up those qualifying times" for the State meet. Green River's swimmers posted strong results across multiple events, including top finishes in the relays and individual races.
In the 200-yard Medley Relay, the Green River A team, composed of Tavia Arnell, Kaylin Uhrig, Alayna Kellhofer and Tanith Smith, took first place with a time of 1:56.60. Individually, Gilmore won the 200-yard Freestyle with a time of 2:18.68, while Arnell secured first in the 200-yard Individual Medley, clocking in at 2:18.82. Haley Clevenger finished just behind Arnell in second place. Arnell also conquered the 100-yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:12.12. Uhrig finished just behind Arnell in second place.
The team's success extended to more events, with Tanith Smith winning the 50-yard Freestyle in 25.77 seconds and the 500-yard Freestyle in 5:44.08. Peyton Murray won the 100-yard Backstroke with a time of 1:08.16, while Clevenger dominated the 100-yard Freestyle with a time of 58.14. Bree Van Etten also stood out, taking third in the 100-yard Butterfly and third in the 200-yard IM.
Relay events further highlighted the team's depth. The 200-yard Freestyle Relay saw Clevenger, Hailey Luth, Kellhofer, and Arnell take first with a time of 1:46.92. The A team, which included Clevenger, Luth, Murray and Smith, also took first in the 400-yard Freestyle Relay, wrapping up the meet on a high note.
Seiloff was particularly proud of her team's resilience, noting that "the girls have been great about team energy, being supportive, and staying upbeat," especially during what she described as a challenging point in the season. With practices intensifying, Seiloff emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, adding that "the workouts are getting harder and more intense, but they're sticking with it and getting through."
As the team prepares for upcoming meets against Lander and Evanston, Seiloff expressed confidence in her swimmers' progress.
"They're working hard, lifting, swimming, doing dry land, and keeping positive," she said, acknowledging that while the season is demanding, the athletes' dedication is "going to pay off in the long run."
With several key meets remaining before the conference championships, Seiloff is focused on refining relay combinations and helping swimmers continue to improve their times.
"We're trying to see where we can place best at states," she noted, underscoring the team's determination as they approach the latter half of the season.
Correction/Editor’s Note: We apologize that last week’s swimming story in the September 19 edition contained several errors, including Zoie Gilmore being listed as Zoe Wright; the team competing in Casper rather than Cody; and the 400 Freestyle Relay team, consisting of Tavia Arnell, Tanith Smith, Peyton Murray and Haley Clevenger, taking first place rather than third. Last week’s story and quote from Coach Seiloff should have read, “The weekend’s highlight for the team was Gilmore’s long-awaited qualification for the State meet. After weeks of narrowly missing the mark, her qualifying swim in the 100-yard Backstroke was a significant moment for both her and the team. ‘Zoie has been working so hard for this, and to finally see her qualify for State was a huge accomplishment for her and the team.’” We also want to acknowledge Tanith Smith and Tavia Arnell for setting new pool records in Casper.
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