Fossil Ridge High School girls swimming and diving had their first competition of the 2018-2019 season at Edora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC) on Tuesday, November 27. Along with Fossil, Rocky Mountain High School, Legacy High School, and Loveland High School all had swimmers compete in the meet. While Fossil came out, they swam that day without some of their teammates who were preparing for a different meet with their club teams in Nashville that will happen later this week. Despite not having some of their stronger swimmers Fossil still took the meet, out swimming all three teams to win.

Three girls, Summer Siverts, Georgia Ewer, and Renee Gillilan, qualified for state with the first two qualifying in the 200-yard freestyle and Gillilan for the 100-yard butterfly. Fossil lost prominent members of the team last year, but incoming freshman and strong members still remain, giving the team a good shot to hold onto their State title. A star of the meet was freshman Renee Gillilan who placed first in two events and qualified for State, Gillilan is the younger sister to senior Coleen Gillilan who has verbally committed to swim at Notre Dame next fall.

The team placed third in the  200-yard medley relay, first and second in the 200-yard free, two of our three divers placed in the top three of the 1-meter diving, first place in the 100-yard fly, first in the 100-yard free, first in the 500-yard free, second in the 200-yard free relay, first in the 100-yard back, third in the 100-yard breast, and first in the 400-yard free relay. Overall the team won with a score of 172.00 to 137.00 against Rocky, 180.00 to 131.00 against Loveland, and 206.00 to 108.00 against Legacy. Winning all three of their duals the girls took the meet overall.

With three state qualifiers already and their first win under their belts the girls’ team is looking good at the beginning of their season. The three captains, seniors, Zara Alkaff, Kara Trombley, and Ainsley Tyree were optimistic and Trombley said, “We lost a lot of strong seniors, but we also have a lot of strong incoming freshman.” When asked how she thought the team sat looking at State she was optimistic, “I hope we do it, we did it last year. We just need to work together.”