Park City High girls swim team claims second straight regional title; Boys team takes 2nd

Photo: Park City High School Swim Team

Park City High School girls swimming team won the Region 10 championship claiming their second consecutive title and the boys securing a strong second-place finish.

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City High School’s swim program flexed its muscles at last weekend’s regional championships in Heber, with the girls team claiming their second consecutive title and the boys securing a strong second-place finish.

The Lady Miners dominated the competition, sweeping all three relay events and claiming the top three spots in three individual events. Senior Gretchen Lane led the charge, winning both her individual races and contributing to two relay victories. The team secured first place in three other individual events and reached the podium in seven of eight races overall.

“Our swimmers were mentally and physically prepared to give it their all at regions,” said assistant coach Heather Flynn. “We saw a lot of best times and swimmers pushing extra hard to edge out the competition. We were especially impressed with the time drops among athletes new to high school swimming.”

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On the boys’ side, the Miners battled Murray High School throughout the meet, finishing a close second despite fielding 24 swimmers to Murray’s 34. The team improved significantly from last year’s fourth-place showing, winning two of three relays and claiming four individual event victories.

Seniors Jaime Taylor and Keegan Elgie each won both their individual events and contributed to two relay victories. Elgie’s performance in the 200-yard individual medley set a new school record at 1:58.01.

The program, which practices daily at Ecker Hill Middle School during the winter season, has built its success on a unique year-round foundation. Most team members also compete for the Park City Swim Club, a school district-owned program that trains at the same facility.

Head coach Gadi Shamah, who also directs the Park City Swim Club, leads the program alongside Flynn, who heads Park City Water Polo, and club coaches Alec Goldfield, Britt Mitchell and Arden Tesch.

“There are over 100 Park City youths who are part of the Park City Club swim team, and most of them go on to swim for PCHS,” said Sandra Chung, whose child swims for the high school team. “In addition, the high school team welcomes non-club swimmers and water polo players, making it a truly inclusive and impactful program.”

Both teams are strong contenders for the 4A state championships on February 7-8, with the girls favored to claim another title and the boys expected to finish in the top three.

The swimming community’s reach extends to more than 80 local families involved with either the high school or club programs. The team’s excellence was recently highlighted when Elgie competed at Junior Nationals, an elite meet reserved for the top few percent of swimmers 18 and under nationwide.