Holyoke swimming assistant Aly Brinkema was one of the original 11 swimmers on the school’s inaugural girls team of 1997-98. She qualified for state all four seasons under her mother, head coach Adria Colver, and was named the 2001 4A girls swimmer of the year as a senior after placing first in the state 100 freestyle and second in the 200.
But that’s the only time a swimmer from this program has picked up such accolades.
For a small swim team like Holyoke, state dreams aren’t impossible. But it is very, very difficult for girls to qualify.
“People don’t embrace the year-round intensive swimming program here, and when you look at the qualifying standards for 5A, even 4A, they are hard to reach unless you live in the water,” Colver said. “Although, we’ve always proven it could be done with relays going to state, and we have had some individuals over the years. It can be done.”
Brinkema went on to have a four-year collegiate swimming career at the University of Kansas before returning to help her mother coach at Holyoke in 2007.
Now the two stand at the helm of 2016-17’s 11-woman squad that has very real chances of qualifying for state in multiple events with CHSAA’s addition of a new Class 3A for girls swimming.
Colver, who is set to step aside and let Brinkema take over the team at the conclusion of the season, said the additional classification is a blessing, as going to state is now more attainable than ever for these young women competing at a small 2A school.
“It’s hard to say to a group of girls, come swim for us and work hard, but state might be out of reach for you,” Colver said. “So this is going to be a sweet ending for a season to have qualifying standards that are already achievable.”
Holyoke’s team has drawn from other northeastern towns, including Sterling, Julesburg, Wray, Haxtun and Sedgwick County. The town of approximately 2,300 boasts the only pool within a 50-mile radius, and it’s also the only place in that corner of the state with an indoor six-lane, 25-yard pool.
The Holyoke swimming pool is owned and operated by the city, which makes for a unique relationship between the school and town that most teams don’t have.
“This pool is unique here, and it’s not used a great deal because pools are extremely expensive to operate,” Cover said. “So, when it is open, we all have to use it and use it hard.”
Holyoke’s team doesn’t train nearly as much as other schools, so when the girls do practice, Colver and Brinkema ask for 100 percent focus. Brinkema, who has also coached in Greeley and Loveland, is on the CHSAA swimming committee and really pushed to get the smaller class.
“This 3A means everything to me, because now I can work these girls with the limited time I have and go far with them. Every once in awhile you’ll get a kid that’s really phenomenal and can really run with that one individual, but swimming is a team sport, and in town and school like Holyoke, I may have the stars, but not necessarily the depth,” Brinkema said.
“By creating 3A and adjusting those qualification times, I’m able to take more than one or two to state, and it really becomes a team experience. The team culture change has already been dramatic and the girls are working hard because they know they have a chance now.”
There will be 42 schools competing in 3A, with Mitchell (1,231) being the largest and Holyoke (167) the smallest. February 9-11, the 5A and 3A meets will be together at VMAC in Thornton.
Of the 11 girls on Holyoke’s team this year, three are seniors and five are freshman.
Senior Emily Krogmeier has qualified for multiple state events before. She swims in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.
“As a senior, it’s really an awesome opportunity to swim with schools that are more our size,” Krogmeier said. “We’ve been swimming with 5A-4A, and it’s really great competition, but now we have a better chance at state.”
Junior Regan Van Overbeke (100 breast, 500 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay) said Holyoke’s team is tiny, but mighty. And on top of that, the small school culture is to get involved in as many activities as possible.
“Coming from a small school, we’re expected to participate in everything – academics, sports, extra curricular activities, all of it. It’s cool we get to do so much, but it will also be nice competing with the other schools being pulled in all different directions.”
But Krogmeier and Van Overbeke agree their coaches make all the difference in their swimming practices. Even though Holyoke may not practice as much as Front Range schools, it’s the quality over quantity than counts.
It also helps to learn from another Holyoke swimming state champion, who has be in the athletes’ shoes before and understands what it takes.
“A lot of coaches will stand there and yell at you, but Aly will work out with us, whether or not we’re swimming or in the weight room, and that’s just so much motivation for us,”Krogmeier said. “She’s in there with us, not just telling us what to do, but she’s also going through the same pain with us.”
Brinkema is the most decorated girls swimmer in Holyoke history, and she’s helped usher in change that benefits the program, and will hopefully grow the team and produce even more state champions.
“3A is opening up doors for a lot of girls, and even the boys,” Brinkema said. “It’s created a lot of excitement in the town of Holyoke, and it’s changing history in our town.”
Alex Reddington is headed to the Big 10. The St. Mary’s Academy senior signed her letter of intent to swim for the University of Wisconsin on Wednesday.
Reddington is a Class 4A state champion in the 100-meter butterfly and 200 freestyle races and holds school records in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 fly, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay.
“I chose the University of Wisconsin because of the extraordinary athletic department and the high level of academics,” Reddington said in a statement released by the school. “I knew from the moment I met the swim team and coaches that it was the school for me. The coaching philosophy and dedication of the athletes made it clear that, with their help, I will achieve my goals and be the best athlete I can be.”
But before she can jump in the pool with the Badgers, Reddington has one more season with the Wildcats.
St. Mary’s Academy will join the new 3A class that begins competition this year. Reddington will look to add several 3A records to go with with her already impressive school records.
Missy Franklin earned a gold medal on Wednesday night when the U.S. women’s swimming team captured the 4×200 freestyle relay final at the Olympics in Rio.
Franklin, a 2013 graduate of Regis Jesuit, did not swim in the final — a surprising turn of events. She did swim the second leg of prelims in helping the U.S. to the fastest qualifying time for Wednesday’s final, and so she will get a medal.
Franklin finished her prelim swim in 1:57.03, the second-fastest split of the American relay.
But, like it did with the men’s relay, the U.S. opted to change three of the four swimmers in the final, going with Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith, Maya Dirado and Katie Ledecky. Schmitt was the lone holdover from the prelims.
That group of four won the final in 7:43.03, beating out silver medalist Australia (7:44.87) and bronze medalist Canada (7:45.39). The men also won gold with a group that included former Regis Jesuit swimmer Clark Smith.
The gold medal is Franklin’s fifth in her career, and sixth total medal. She won four gold medals at the 2012 Olympics in London just after finishing her junior year in high school, and also won a bronze.
Franklin finished 13th in the 200-meter race earlier in the week. She will finish her 2016 Olympic schedule with the 200 backstroke on Thursday. The prelims are at 11:41 a.m.
The 2016 Olympic games in Rio are right around the corner and former Regis Jesuit standout Missy Franklin couldn’t be more excited.
In a press conference on Sunday at the Team USA training camp media day, Franklin spoke of the honor that she felt representing the United States once again.
“It is the greatest honor there is,” Franklin said. “Especially with everything going on in our world right now, too. I think it’s the perfect time for an Olympics with the way it brings everyone together and brings countries’ pride. I have so much love for our country and I think it’s a different way for us to represent our country.”
(Photo: JD Lasica/flickr)
At the 2012 games in London, Franklin came away with four gold medals to go with one bronze. She set a world record in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:04.06.
Even more impressive is that Franklin competed in the 2012 games prior to entering her senior year at Regis Jesuit.
Click here for a complete list of Colorado high school athletes competing at the 2016 Olympics.
Legend has tabbed Kipp Meeks to lead its girls swimming and diving program.
Titans athletic director Kevin Boley announced the hire on Monday.
Meeks is currently the boys swim coach at CT, and is now in his fifth season. He will remain the boys swim coach at CT, Boley said.
Meeks has led the Cougars to two top-15 finishes in the past four seasons, including a No. 11 finish in 2014.
Meeks replaces Karen Johnson, who was the coach for three seasons. The Titans didn’t qualify for state as a team last season, but finished 18th in 2015, and 14th in 2014.
Brooke Stenstrom is the 4A girls swimmer of the year. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The 2016 all-state girls swimming teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.
Swimmers of the year were selected based upon the number of team points they produced at the state meet. This means that they received the full amount of team points from individual events they swam in, as well as one-fourth of the total points earned by the team in relays they swam in.
Finally, in order to be considered for swimmer of the year, athletes must first have made the all-state team by winning in a championship.
Divers of the year were selected by finish at the state meet, as were coaches of the year.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
VMAC hosted the 4A girls swimming and diving state meet last weekend. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — The plan for the addition of a Class 3A state meet in girls swimming is taking shape.
The swimming and diving committee met on Wednesday at the CHSAA office, and spent a big portion of that meeting talking about how to approach the new third classification for girls, which was approved by the Legislative Council last April. Ultimately, they decided to recommend the addition of a third day of competition, and a rotation-based schedule whereby two classifications will compete at the same site during the weekend.
Those host sites are still to be determined, but it is likely that they will continue to be held at EPIC in Fort Collins and VMAC in Thornton.
“There were a lot of moving parts the committee had to consider, but we think they’ve come up with a plan that will work for all classes, but also ensure that we can showcase each of them,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees swimming and diving.
Going forward, the swim committee recommended that one meet begin its prelims on Thursday, and hold finals on Friday. The other two meets would remain on the Friday/Saturday schedule for their respective preliminaries and finals.
For the 2017 girls meet, the plan is to have 5A and 3A swim together, with 4A at another site. The 5A meet would begin with both swim and dive prelims on Thursday, and then come back for swim and dive finals on Friday. 4A and 3A would swim prelims on Friday, have dive prelims on Saturday morning, and then both finals on Saturday evening.
The classes would rotate in 2018, so that 3A and 4A would be together, with 3A moving to the Thursday/Friday schedule. 5A would be at its own site.
Then, in 2019, 4A and 5A would be together with 4A going Thursday/Friday. In that season, 3A would be on its own.
“We want to ensure equity in the execution of these state meets, so that’s why we decided to rotate each of the classes through each scenario,” Brookens said.
Boys swimming will remain with its current two-classification format.
This plan needs to be approved by the Legislative Council at its April meeting.
