Havre High swimmers will be busy

The high school swimming season has just one month left. And yet, the Havre High swim teams have competed in just two meets all season.

Fortunately for the Ponies, they will be plenty busy over the next couple of weeks.

Havre, which was shorthanded at last Saturday's Hardin Invitational, will be back in the pool Saturday when the Ponies compete in a meet against Great Falls High and CMR. The meet will feature plenty of top competition, and that's just what the Blue Ponies are looking for.

As for the Ponies themselves, things are going well, despite having the Great Falls Invitational cancelled last month due to weather. The Ponies put up good times in Hardin, with outstanding swims by the likes of Jessica Otto, Aylan Pratt, Jacob Miller, Angela Rhines, Riley Kilgore, Logan Twombly, Natalie Verpolegen, Kabe Burchard, Barrett Kilgore, Clayton Twombly, Trevor Williams, Laura Vance and Michelle Rainey.

Of course, mainstays like Ameila Miller, Ally Padgett, Mason Sandstrom and Shannon Oberquell, among others, are also swimming at a high level, and head coach Bill Kilgore said he really likes how his teams are blending together right now.

"Some of our new swimmers are really starting to come into their own," Coach Kilgore said after the Hardin meet. "Not to be outdone, some of our veteran swimmers had some excellent performances."

Due to vacation and sickness, Havre wasn't at full strength last week in Hardin, yet the Ponies battled well. This week and beyond, Kilgore expects to have his teams at full strength, and that will be good considering Havre enters the stretch run of its season.

After Saturday's meet in Great Falls, the Ponies go back to Great Falls next Friday, then swim in the Missoula Invitational next Saturday. Havre then wraps up the regular season with its second home meet of the year, a meet featuring all of the Class A squads Jan. 28 at the Havre Community Pool.