SWEETWATER COUNTY — The high school swimming and diving season gets underway this weekend as Green River and Rock Springs compete in their first varsity meets of the season.
Green River will travel to Laramie for the Laramie Invitational on Friday and Saturday, while Rock Springs will compete at the Rawlins Invitational on the same days.
The weekend will provide the first opportunity for both programs to test their returning athletes and newcomers in varsity competition after spending the early portion of the season focused on conditioning, technique and establishing routines.
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For Green River, the Laramie meet marks the beginning of a new chapter under first-year head coach Allen Clark.
Clark takes over the Lady Wolves program following the retirement of longtime coach Colleen Seiloff, who spent 31 years leading Green River swimming and guided the program to multiple state championships. Clark previously worked as an assistant coach with the high school program and has also been involved with the Sweetwater Aquatics Team.
Green River enters the season with a returning group expected to provide leadership while younger swimmers work their way into larger roles. The Lady Wolves are expected to have strengths in the relay events and middle-distance races, with the 100-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle among the events to watch.
The early-season emphasis has been on technique and conditioning as the team works to establish the habits that will carry it through the 12-week season.
The Laramie Invitational will give Green River its first chance to see how those preparations translate into competition.
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Rock Springs will begin its season at the Rawlins Invitational under first-year head coach Alex Buckman.
Buckman spent the previous two years as an assistant with the Tigers and also coached the Rock Springs Junior High swim team last season. Before joining the Rock Springs program, he spent seven years coaching with the Laramie Swim Club.
The Lady Tigers return experienced athletes while also bringing a strong group of younger swimmers into the high school program. Senior Kaylee Moore provides veteran leadership, while the program is also adding athletes from its junior high ranks.
One of the biggest developments for Rock Springs this season is the return of high school diving. The Tigers have not had a high school diving program in several years, but divers moving up from the junior high program will compete this season.
In the pool, Rock Springs is expected to be strongest in the sprint events. The Tigers have spent the early season working on starts, turns, underwaters and stroke technique as they prepare for competition.
The Rawlins Invitational will provide the first varsity test for those areas and give the Tigers an early look at where they stand against competition from around the state.
With both programs entering the weekend under new head coaches, the first meets are less about defining the season and more about establishing a starting point.
