Havasu Stingrays Swim Team Hosts Swim Meet

By Elijah Aston

The Havasu Stingrays Swim Team participated in the Ride the Wave swim meet on Saturday to showcase their swimmer’s skills.

As a team, the Stingrays finished second place overall, which is something to be very proud of. We also had several swimmers earn High Point trophies, including 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes,

High Point Trophy Winners

8 & Under Girls

1st Place: Aubrey Brown
2nd Place: Gracie Almer
3rd Place: Evie Almer

8 & Under Boys

1st Place: Nathan Rogers
2nd Place: Waylon Carmel
3rd Place (Tie): Korben Anderson, Mason Laird

9–10 Girls

1st Place: Zoey Bengard
2nd Place: Harlie Monk

9–10 Boys

1st Place (Tie): Walter Fiscus, Giorgio Thompson
2nd Place: Preston Baker

11–12 Girls

2nd Place: Kadey Batista

11–12 Boys

1st Place: Braxson Perkins
2nd Place: Luke Carter

15 & Over Girls

2nd Place: Aubrey Vessells

Elijah Aston/RiverScene

Stingrays coach Zoey Chambers said “I think all the kids did great, especially considering we got so many new kids this year. I look forward to next year because then they’ll have a little bit more experience because this was a lot of kids first meet.”

The swim meet showed a various amount of events, with this being many of the swimmers first time participating in swim meets.

“This was kind of a test and trial run and they did awesome,” she said.

The swimmers participated in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and relay events.

Despite many being new to swim, the swimmers gave it their all and had a very successful meet.

Swim Coach Goes Above And Beyond

By Becky Maxedon

Something that doesn’t happen every day happened last Saturday at the Havasu Stingrays’ Ride the Wave swim meet.

The act of kindness and support encapsulated what the Stingrays team is all about.

One of the swimmers was competing in the 100 meter freestyle for the first time.

The swimmer had recently moved from Pre-Stingrays to the Bronze group and was testing her skills in this event.

Stingrays head coach Rick Wheeler said, “After the first 50, she became scared and exhausted and didn’t think she could finish the race.”

Coach Zoey Chambers was there to encourage the swimmer with calm words and reassurance, but she was still hesitant.

What happened next embodies what it is to be a coach.

Chambers took off her shoes and socks and joined the young swimmer in the lane next to her and swam with her for the remainder of the distance in the race.

Coach Zoey Chambers swims alongside one of her swimmers Saturday. Photo courtesy Nicole Brown

“In all my years of coaching, I’ve only seen that happen one other time and it was at swim camp,” Wheeler said.

Chambers said, “I told her you can do this. Just go nice and slow. She said she couldn’t even feel her legs and I told her I knew the feeling.

“I told her I promise you’re okay and you can finish this race. She shook her head and still wanted to leave the pool.”

Chamber said she asked her, “If I jump in this pool right now and swim right beside you will you swim with me and finish the race?

“She said yes so I took my socks and shoes off and dove in to swim the last 50 with her.”

“No matter who you were or where you were standing, if you witnessed that moment, it made an impact. It reminds us all of why we coach, why we volunteer and why this sport matters so much,” Wheeler said.