Scobey Swim Team Finds Big Success At State Level

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Facing competition from swim teams with much larger populations, the Scobey Stingrays proved once again that they are the best in the state.

The Stingrays repeated as Class AA champions during the state meet held in Plentywood on Aug. 1-2. Scobey captured the title despite going up against clubs from such cities as Sidney, Glendive and Hamilton.

Scobey Coach Luke Cromwell said the Stingrays are the second smallest Class C team in the Class AA swimming ranks.

“We have big community support which helps us a lot,” Cromwell said.

The Stingrays swam their way to the title with 791 points while Sidney placed second with 758 points.

Coach Cromwell explained that he realized the team earned its state championship goal during the 25-meter butterfly event held late on the second day. In those races, four boys in the 8-and-under division placed in the top six, four girls in the 8-and-under division finished in the top six and two boys in the 9-10 age division were in the top three, “The younger kids carried as this year,” Ava Stentoft, who competes in the girls’ 15-19 division, said.

Aydan Stentoft, who is the oldest member of the squad, added, “It feels great. It’s amazing how our small community can come together.”

The championship definitely took a complete team effort. Scobey’s lone high point trophy winner was Logan Fischer in the 8-and-under boys’ division. Fischer captured top honors in the 100-meter IM, 25-meter butterfly and 25-meter backstroke.

“He really puts ‘fish’ in Fischer,” teammate Reid Cromwell acknowledged.

Many of the swimmers explain that Luke Cromwell’s coaching ability plays a huge role in the team’s success. “Our coach pushes us every day,” Aydan Stentoft explained.

Commitment by the swimmers along with their parents is vital to the program’s success as practices start at 7 a.m. each day.

“It’s definitely a dedication you have to make,” Aydan Stentoft pointed out.

A special challenge during this season occurred when the Stingrays couldn’t practice in the pool for two straight weeks because of a program with the heater. Instead, the athletes needed to perform a lot of running.

“The kids ran hard,” Coach Cromwell said. “Every one of them contributed to our success.”

This year’s program started with 60 swimmers and a total of 43 individuals qualified for the state meet.

“This is the most in the last seven years,” Coach Cromwell said of the turnout.

The swimmers explain that many of Scobey’s swimmers start competing when they are 6-year-olds. Traveling and competing at meets each weekend makes the teammates very close along with their parents attending the meets.

“You get to know everyone and their families,” Siri Moran said.

Harper Hansen added, “The parents help us with their cheering.”

As they grow older, the athletes find that swimming is a great summer sport as they condition to compete for additional state honors in football, volleyball and basketball.

Coach Cromwell loves the sport because it has both individual and team elements.

“I really enjoy that it’s an individual sport. But at the end of the day, it comes down to team points,” he said.

With the loss of only one swimmer to age, the Stingrays should be near the top of the standings when next year’s state swim meet is held in Hamilton.

“If we have all the kids back, we have a good shot,” Coach Cromwell said.

First, the coach needs to take care of another matter. He promised his athletes that he would dye his hair green and purple if they won the state championship. “It’s temporary though,” he said.

But a state title is something that lasts forever.