Swimming Districts

Both Michael and Joseph swam for their high school team this winter.

The much anticipated district meet was last weekend.

This was the first time that the twins were requested to shave in preparation for a swim.

I eagerly signed up to do the honors.

But, I waxed their legs instead of shaving them.

Waaaahaaaahaaaaa!!!!

Oops, sorry for the evil laugh, it was just so much fun.

I asked them if they needed a stick to bite on but wanting to look tough they declined.

Joseph insisted that it didn't really hurt that bad.

I know better.

Michael gripped the counter as I ripped off each strip.

Michael is a much more hairy individual then his twin.

Each strip resembled a piece of Sasquatch pelt after it came off.

It was actually kinda gross.

I'm just sayin...

After the waxing, they got shaved.

We went over their legs again and then arms, backs and chests.

Whew...

That took awhile.

The twins are just average sized freshman.

Unfortunately, the taller you are and the more mature you are, the faster you can go.

Joseph insisted on swimming the 50 free and the 100 free, which are the most highly contested events. He was also in two relays.

We knew that he would have a better chance of making the state playoffs in different categories but he didn't listen to us loves the sprints.

He swam on Friday and made the district finals.

He was the only Freshman to make the finals in the 50 and 100 free. Both of his relay teams also came back for finals.

Here he is getting ready to swim in the finals.

Michael swam the 200 free and the 100 free.

He made the district finals for the 200 free. He was the only freshman to do so.

He qualified for the consolation finals in the 100 free.

Here he is getting ready to swim in the finals.

Michael placed 10th place at districts in the 100 free.

In the 200 free, he swam against three juniors and two seniors in the finals.

And he still came in 4th!

Here he is accepting his ribbon for his 10th place finish in the 200 free.

Hopefully he'll grow before next year.

Joseph, the only freshman in his events, placed 5th in the 50 free and 4th in the 100 free.

Here he is accepting his medal for his 100 free finish.

Joe is 5'8" tall and he still looks like a total shrimp standing next to all those older kids.

The relay teams came in fourth for the medley relay and third for the 200 free relay.

In each event, only the district champion is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. We have four districts in our state, so that is four automatic spots. Eight more swimmers are chosen, all according to times swam at districts.

So, if you come from a really fast district, most of the top finishing swimmers will qualify.

But, we didn't know how our district compared to the other districts.

Now, we just had to wait until state wide results were posted on Sunday to see if they had qualified for state.

Here is his relay team.

Sunday night, we got "the call"

Michael didn't time out high enough to make state but he doesn't swim year round like most of the other swimmers.

However, Joseph made state...in both his events...and both his relays made it.

He is the only Freshman to make state in the 50 free. There is only one other freshman in the 100 free.

This is going to be crazy.

He left on Thursday.

He is super pumped.

I'm headed up Friday morning to watch the prelims.

He is going to have to swim faster then he ever has.

Fingers crossed...