Not in recent memory have so many girls come out for the sport of swimming at Montezuma-Cortez High School. That certainly has head coach Mark Knox pleased.

"Having so many to work with is great," he said. "It will make filling relays easier than in past years when we’ve had to not go with some. We have several girls trying out for diving where in past years we’ve had to give up points. We will no doubt lose some along the way and that would be normal, but having this many out is wonderful."

Knox has a good group of seniors. They are Aubrey Cook, Jennifer Gleason, Abby Satley, Jasmine Showers (co-captain), Suzy Smart, and Laura Waechter of those Gleason, Showers, and Smart are veterans.

The juniors are Maria Benova, a foreign exchange student from Slovakia; Tracy Berhost, Whitney Cook Carnahan, Tammy Henry, Anna Neuman, and Sara Wallace. Of those only Henry and Wallace have experience from a year ago. Benova is a good swimmer, according to Knox. Kelsey Green, from Dolores, is a junior who has experience. Sheena Burns also is from Dolores.

Sophomores Christina Alvarez, Jessica Carriker, Amy Green, Tessa Haukeness, Jessica Millican, Tiandra Sharp, and Wyoming (Gillette) transfer student Tara Lynn Vallery. Jenna Dillon is a soph from Mancos.

Freshman include Connie Berger, Megan Calvillo, Jessica Fuller, Jennifer Green, Mary Lynn House, Lindsay Maez, and Ki’a Whiteskunk.

"The team is large, which is good. I’ve never had this many to start the season. We don’t have a whole lot of experience coming in but we do have some. But of those kids who are coming in, they have a lot talent and are swimming at a higher level already than we’ve had in the past," he added.

Basically, the core group is composed of Wallace, Amy Green, Kelsey Green, Millican, Henry, Haukeness, and Showers.

Kelsey Green, who has been a distance swimmer as well as sprinter in the past, will focus more on the sprints. Cortez should be strong in the breast stroke with Haukeness and Millican.

Knox this year being assisted by Amber Olson. Much of her experience is in gymnastics which should help the divers. Cook and Satley are going to focus on diving as well as four others.

Butterfly and some of the longer distances are a definite question mark. The Panthers should be good in the back stroke. Just by being able to fill some of the relays, MCHS should be much improved.

Grand Junction and Fruita-Monument are the top teams along the Western Slope. Returning champion Durango is a little down. Delta is on the rise. Montrose will be improved. Glenwood Springs has a tough program.

"We are still in a developmental stage. But we should be more competitive. We will definitely swim against some good teams this year. The kids are going to see a lot of high-level swimming and perhaps even at a higher level than in past years," Knox said about this season’s schedule.

The Panthers open the season Dec. 2 at the Montrose Relays. They competed in a quadrangular against Gunnison and Central-Palisade and Montrose at Montrose on Dec. 8 and travel to Grand Junction for another quad against Gunnison, Central-Palisade, and Grand Junction High at Orchard Mesa Middle School Pool in Grand Junction the next day to close the 2000 portion of the slate.

They open the 2001 part by competing in the Centennial Invitational in Pueblo with a double dual meet set Jan. 5 and triangular Jan. 6. The Academy Invitational is set for Jan. 12-13 in Albuquerque.

The Farmington Invitational is slated Jan. 19-20. They host Delta and Fruita on Jan. 26 (at Ute Mountain Recreation Center Pool in Towaoc) and host Gunnison and Glenwood Springs on Jan. 27. A meet featuring Delta and Durango is scheduled for Delta on Feb. 2 with a meet in Grand Junction against Durango, Gunnison, Moffat County, and Central-Palisade on Feb. 3.