Photo by Jordan Haiduk
Maggie Hatfield, 9, swims during the Girls 12 & Under 50 LC Meter Breast Stroke at the Emporia Last Chance Meet at Jones Aquatic Center Sunday, July 20.
Nine-year-old Maggie Hatfield still has the white posterboard in her room — a big list of all her swimming goals that she and her mother, Shari, made at the beginning of the season.
With only a couple weeks left this summer, the checkmarks have all but taken over.
Hatfield continued her impressive run on Saturday and Sunday at the Emporia Last Chance Meet, winning all eight of the events she participated in for the Emporia Aquatic Club at the Jones Aquatic Center.
“She’s an incredible worker,” EAC assistant coach Kyle Ediger said. “She’s got a lot of drive. If you give her a challenge, she’ll go after it and surprise you.”
Hatfield’s titles included the 9- and 10-year-old division of the 100 free (1:15.65), 200 individual medley (3:19.30), 100 back (1:33.14), 200 free (2:52.28), 50 free (34.75 seconds), 50 back (45.10), 50 breast (49.27) and 50 fly (43.17).
“I felt pretty good,” Hatfield said. “It was really fun at this meet because I had all my friends with me.”
Hatfield — who started competitive swimming just two years ago — has qualified nine events for the Division-I Meet in Lenexa on Aug. 1-3.
She also has qualified at least one event (50 back) for the Zone Meet in Indianapolis on Aug. 6.
Hatfield has made quite an improvement just over the summer months with help from Ediger’s training.
The most dramatic change has come in the 100 free. In six weeks, Hatfield has dropped 11 seconds off her time.
“He’s helped a lot,” Hatfield said of Ediger, “but I only know of one practice that I actually like.”
Ediger’s workouts mostly stick to long-distance training. Every week, for example, the athletes swim a timed mile.
“That’s probably the one they hate the most,” Ediger said with a smile, “but it’s good for them. It helps them to drop time and makes the events they compete in seem easy.”
Other noteworthy performances came from Jordan Metz, Regan Hastert and Stephanie Slayden.
Photo by Jordan Haiduk
Taylor Mason, 12 competes in the Girls 13 & Over 100 LC Meter Backstroke Sunday, July 20.
The 10-year-old Metz’s best showing came in the 100 breaststroke, as she took five seconds off her previous best. That left her just one second off of a Division-I qualifying time.
Metz said a lot of her improvement came because of the tougher practices.
“Kyle’s workouts are the hardest I’ve ever done,” Metz said. “I always feel tired at the end.”
Hastert (11) was happiest with her 50 breaststroke, as she trimmed more than 6 1/2 seconds off her previous best.
“I’m not really good at that event, but Coach just told me today that I needed to glide,” Hastert said.
Hastert also took a pair of firsts, winning the 100 fly (1:48.20) and 50 fly (44.80).
Slayden (11) lowered her time in the 100 free by 8 seconds (1:27.78) to take fourth.
“It just makes me really excited,” Slayden said, “to know that I improved that much.”
Slayden also won the 50 free, dropping more than a second off her previous best (38.00).
In only his second outdoor meet ever, Wyatt Mattas (9) also had a good day, dropping times in the 50 free (39.92, third) and 50 back (53.83, seventh).
Other champions for the Emporia Aquatic Club were: 18-year-old Hilary Larson in the 200 free (2:37.21); 16-year-old Taylor Mason in the 50 free (33.96) and 100 back (1:32.54); Mattas in the 50 breast (1:08.45); and Emporia’s 200 freestyle relay team of Hatfield, Hastert, Mason and Kathryn Scherich (2:20.60).
For full results, see “From the Scoreboard” on Page 12.
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