Aspen Speedos collect Montrose medals

The Aspen Speedos took their act on the road last weekend.

The Aspen junior swim club packed up and headed west to the annual Montrose Marlin Fall Open at the Montrose Aquatic Center.

With a small travel squad because of school commitments and illness, the Speedos challenged the big clubs and still managed a third-place finish behind host Montrose and runner-up Grand Junction.

Those teams had nearly twice the number of swimmers as Aspen, which left head coach Gordon Gerson very pleased with the Montrose results.

“I was really proud across the board,” Gerson said. “I think every kid had at least one top-3 finish. For the kids who went there, I was happy with the outcome.”

He said he was disappointed they didn’t take more swimmers.

But those who raced, produced results, he said.

“Everyone who made the trip, made it worth their while,” he said.

“The day belonged again to Andrew Strenger. He was 8-for-8 in the 8-and-under events he swam — all with impressive time-drops, as well,” Gerson said. “He’s having a great season. It’s nice to see a kid with some breakout performances.”

Sprenger won the 25 freestyle, the 25 backstroke, the 50 breaststroke, the 100 individual medley, the 25 breast, the 200 free, the 25 fly and the 50 free.

Max Bryant in the 15-and-over boys division won three of his four races. He competed only one day in Montrose because of school commitments.

“I’m going to give the swim-of-the-meet to Hannah Freeman,” Gerson said. “ … she dropped 1.83 seconds in her 50 free, which is not a small drop. That’s real promising for her future.”

Gerson said Eddie Zane, in the boys 6-and-under division, won three races — the 25 free, the 25 back and the 200 back.

A host of Aspen Speedos won events at Montrose, including Everett Olson. Swimming in the 11-12 boys division, he won the 400 free and the 100 free. He was second in one race and third in five other events.

Charlton Mechling, in the girls 15-and-over, won three of her four races.

Madelyn Mechling, an 11-year-old swimming in the 11-12 division, won two events and was second in two others.

She won the 200 back and the 100 free. Sister Charlton won the 400 IM, the 100 breast and the 100 free. She was second in the 200 IM.

Kayla Tehrani won two races in the girls 9-10 division. The 9-year-old won the 25 freestyle and the 25 breast.

Saverio Multin, in the boys 13-14, won the 200 fly and was second in two other events — the 50 back and the 200 IM.

Cole Petersen won the boys 11-12 200 breast. He was second in the 50 free and second in the 200 free.

Oliver Semple, swimming in the boys 11-12 division, collected points in all events he swam. His top finish was a sixth in the 200 freestyle.

Harry Valentine-Wilson, age 10, finished third in the 100 breast while placing in five other events.

“Parker Boyd got a couple of second places, and little Nathan Levey got a couple of top-5s,” Gerson said. Boyd was second in the girls 8-and-under 50 freestyle.

Nathan Cherry’s top finish was a second in the 100 IM for boys 11-12. He’s 11.

Emily Driscoll, in the girls 13-14, had a pair of thirds as a 13-year-old.

Kelcie Gerson won the girls 15-and-over 50 back. And she finished second in the 200 back, the 100 IM and the 100 back. She also had two thirds at Montrose.

Plus, she swam on a pair of winning relay teams. She joined Kelli Callahan and the Mechlings one day.

She swam with Freeman and Driscoll to win the next day’s relay.

Callahan also won the girls 15-and-over 100 IM. She finished second in four other events and third in three more.

Ella Zane posted a second-place finish in the girls 8-and-under 25 breast.

The next meet for the Aspen Speedos will be the Sopris Invitational in Glenwood Springs on Nov. 16-17.

dstrode@aspentimes.com