Diving, turning, pushing and pulling all come together to bring swimmers to the fastest times and the most important competitions. However success in swimming is far from easy and requires hours upon hours of rigorous training in the water.

Bowie swimmer Elizabeth Meyer and Diver Nathan Cootes have won the admiration of their team and families for having both placed at the Texas State level swimming championship. The swim meet took place at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center during February and included high school swimmers from all over the state.

“I could not be more proud of them, they did a fantastic job this season,” swim coach Chanel Dobrzenski said. “It’s Nathan’s senior year, so I was really happy to see him not only go to State but actually place there. Elizabeth is a freshman, so to be able to compete in the 50 freestyle as a freshman is a huge deal in the state of Texas, and she did a great job.”

The 50 yard freestyle is just one of many events that swimmers might have to have to compete in during a meet. In particular this event is extremely fast paced and usually involves non stop sprinting from start to finish, resulting in times under 30 seconds.

“I enjoy swimming all butterfly and freestyle events, but the 50 freestyle is my favorite because i love to sprint,” Meyer said. “I didn’t expect to make state as a freshman because the region bowie is in is very fast, but when I got called up I was excited.”

But with success comes practice, and in Meyer’s case that means a regular schedule all year round.

“I swim for Bowie a couple mornings a week and every afternoon after school. I swim with my club  team. On saturdays, I do not have meets; I have morning practice for my club,” Meyer said. “The days I go to club, we do workouts with medicine balls outside of the pool but in the pool the sets vary.”

Even though swimming consumes free time, this freshman finds it to be both therapeutic and enjoyable.

“Swimming consumes my free time and weekends, so I’ve had to give up a lot of parties and school events in order to go to practice and swim meets,” Meyer said. “ What I like most about swimming is competing in relays with my team. I love racing for my team and there is always a lot of excitement and energy after each person dives into the water.”

Aside from their families and coach, Cootes and Meyer’s teammates were excited and proud to hear about their success at the meet.

“I’m proud of them,” teammate Emilio Garza said. “They worked hard and they earned it.”