This evening the waters in the Texarkana College Natatorium will see the start of one of the biggest swim and dive meets held in Texas.
The 2018 Northeast Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet begins with dive today as the Texas High Tigersharks host 22 other teams in the largest sporting event in Texarkana.
"The atmosphere is similar to a regional or state meet," Tigershark head coach Eric Vogan stated.
The swimming section of the meet gets under way at 9:30 a.m. Friday with the first round of preliminaries and includes the Tigersharks.
The 22 visiting schools will come from as far as the Houston area. The THS boys are defending champions, while the THS girls will try to unseat J.J. Pearce High of Richardson.
"We will have 450 kids all hoping to swim fast enough to be in the top 16 in their events so they can come back for the finals on Saturday," Vogan said.
Facing teams such as J.J. Pearce, Kline Oak, The Woodlands College Park, Ridge Point and Elkins will push the Tigersharks in every event.
The second round of preliminaries begins at 3:30 p.m. Friday. The finals will begin at 10:45 a.m. Saturday.
In the boys division THS will lead with Robert Frost, Max Young and Owen Likins in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 freestyles. However, to win the overall championship, some up-and-comers will have to have strong swims. Look for the Tigersharks to rely on Dylan Rosser in the 100 backstroke, Logan Diggs in the 100 breaststroke and John David Cass in the 100 butterfly to be called upon for additional points.
The depth that THS has with Joshua Oldham, Jackson Shellogg, Cameron Alcorn and Trent Foster, all being strong in multiple events, will help the Tigershark cause. Brady Moore will be relied on in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, while Matthew Gass will be called on in the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle.
In relay events the guys will send Young, Likins, Shellogg and Frost into the pool for the 200 freestyle. The 200 medley relay will have Rosser, Diggs, Cass and Frost pushing for gold.
For the girls to outshine the loaded field, Haley Wood, Kaley Norton and the Seidenschawarz sisters, Emma and Katelin, will have to be at their peak.
"We are going to be resting a little this week and no weights after school this week," Vogan stated when asked about any additional preparations the Tigersharks are making.
Wood will be a contender in the 100 breaststroke, and Norton is a good bet in the 100 butterfly. Katelin Seidenschawarz has been swimming great in the 100 backstroke, while sister Emma, has been handling the 100 freestyle quite well this season. Adding to the girl's power will be Fezeka Barnes in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Avery Morrill is a contender to win the 200 and 500 freestyles, while Hannah Klein could also bring home points in those events.
Kaitlyn Rogers, Tabatha McAfee and Hunter Sizemore could all play parts in securing points to help put the girls over the top this weekend. Rogers has been very consistent in the butterfly and on relays. McAfee has started to shine in the distance races and the freshman Sizemore is gaining strength in the IM events. A meet record in the 200 medley relay is well within the grasp of Katelin S., Wood, Norton and Barnes. The 200 freestyle relay will also be huge for the girls as Barnes, Norton, Morrill and Emma S. look to reach the top spot.
The diving, starting today at 5 p.m., will feature Robert Bland of Texas High in the boys division. Bland is making a run at his second trip to the state finals in February. Joshua Asher and Joseph Asher should also bring home points for the Tigersharks. For the girls, Serenity Danner could be the winner. Kate Morgan also looks ready to step up to the top competition that a TISCA meet brings.
The event will be streamed live on the Texas High Television Internet page, Tigervision.org.
Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman sees this meet as a great chance to support the Tigersharks.
"It is a good opportunity to support these swimmers right here in Texarkana," he said. "With so many swimmers, fans and personnel in town, this meet has a huge impact on our restaurant and hotel industry. And let's face it, swimming is an indoor sport and you don't have to worry about the weather."
Entry is free to the public. Concessions will be provided.