BILLINGS — Call it the year's favorite week for Montana high school swimmers.
"It's insane, it's so fun. The pool is so cramped and tiny that the sound is very big," Billings West’s Kaleb Montgomery told MTN Sports before Monday's practice. "Everyone's yelling, the excitement is crazy. It means so much to everyone, it's like the teams really get into it and it's a whole different feel."
Montgomery is referring to the high school state meet Thursday through Saturday in Great Falls, marking the seventh straight year the Electric City has hosted.
Hear Billings swimmers share thoughts on this week's state meet:
The junior figures to help lead Billings West's charge toward a podium-worthy boys finish as the Golden Bears and Billings Central look to carry the Magic City's top opportunities for team trophies.
West’s girls return great depth aiming to break school relay records and they appear strong enough to place top three. Ava Cancro is a state title winner looking for more, but the senior is a little torn about her final high school meet.
"Oh, obviously a lot of sadness. But I'm also feeling excited because we have a lot of potential — this year especially — with the younger group coming in. It's a lot of fun," she said.
While swim programs are scarce among Class A schools, Billings Central is primed to win another pair of team championships. The boys can make it six straight, while the girls can make it seven.
Sophomore Vanessa Sheridan is one of Montana's top girls swimmers in any class enjoying a sport that runs in the family.
"I love the individuality of it, but then you also come together as a team and swim together. And you just create such amazing bonds," Sheridan said.
Bennett Seitz is a junior for the Rams already with two individual titles and four more in the relays. He admit getting little nervous but tries to bring team tension down in the ready room keeping the mood light. That may be part of the reason he's sporting a mullet.
"Just having fun, trying something new," he said with a smile. "This is probably as long as it gets, because I don't know if my mom will let me grow it any longer."
As for Montgomery, last year he recalls finishing nearly a tenth of a second from gold in the 200 individual medley against teammate Tyler Zarbock, now swimming for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
"Yeah, he got me. He was a senior though, so I let him have that one," Montgomery said with a laugh.
