For 40 years, the Kent Swimming Club has been teaching local youth how to handle themselves in the water, and this weekend it’ll celebrate that milestone.
The 40th Kent Invitational will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at the club located on the corner of Kenton and Walker roads, Dover.
The meet will feature 11 teams and approximately 193 swimmers, with participants coming in from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Katie Christiansen, head coach for the team, said it’s been neat realizing that for 40 years the club has been training area swimmers and that she’s looking forward to the chance to celebrate that landmark.
The meet is going to feature a 1970s theme, complete with tie-dyed commemorative T-shirts and 70s music. Christiansen said she might even take things a step further for herself.
“I might pull out my sister’s old shiny pants from the 70s,” she said. “She used to coach the team and they were her lucky, shiny pants. So I might go back to the 70s and wear her shiny pants.”
Beyond that, Christiansen said one tradition has remained throughout the team’s 40 years and that’s something that should continue for generations to come.
“Mainly, Kent Swim Team has been known for their sportsmanship,” she said. “We always stress that throughout our meets and even during practice.”
Of the close to 200 swimmers that will compete Saturday, they will do so in age groups of 6 and younger, 8 and younger, 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15 to 18.
Distances are being increased, Christiansen said, to challenge the swimmers a little more since it is an invitational and not just a regular meet.
Usually, age groups from 9 and 10, and younger only swim 25 meters, but Saturday they’ll do 50 meters. The 11- and 12-year-olds will swim 50 meters as well, while the two older age groups will swim 100 meters. Events include the freestyle, butterfly, breast stroke, backstroke and IM.
“We try to make it a little more difficult so they push themselves,” Christiansen said.
Swimmers will be judged in two categories; the first, or novice, category is for participants new to swimming, and medals will be given to first-, second- and third-place winners. Up to eighth place will be awarded ribbons.
The other category, open, is for the more experience swimmers. Trophies and ribbons will be awarded to the top swimmers in this division.
The awards don’t stop there though, Christiansen said, as the top performers of the day will be recognized too.
