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Flathead, Glacier set for 1st crosstown swim meet

By DAVID LESNICK

Daily Inter Lake

They practice together every day at the same facility (The Summit), share the same coaching staff and travel as one, but compete separately at meets around the state all winter long.

However Saturday night, Flathead and Glacier will pass on most of those things as they face off against each other for the first time with a crosstown swim meet.

Warm-ups at The Summit begin at 6 p.m. with swimming at 6:30.

While crosstown events have been held in all the other sports for the past decade, it took a new coach — Major Robinson in his first year running the two programs — with fresh ideas to make this event become a reality.

“I starting pitching the crosstown to the ADs,” Robinson said of the Activities Directors for both schools. “I told them in my (job) interview I wanted to try it, see how it went. They were all for it. It was easy to sell the kids on it.”

Flathead and Glacier passed on a trip to the Butte Invitational this weekend to make this happen.

“I wanted to see something new and little more fun for the kids,” Robinson said. “This is great to get one last swim at home and before family.”

Glacier and Flathead are off next weekend, but the state meet follows Feb. 9-10 in Great Falls.

The crosstown will also be Senior Night for both schools. Flathead has four on its roster — Jamie Bouda, Jenna Skonard, Hailey Fennell and Makena Tanko — and Glacier three — Keegan Mackenstadt, Lauren Harmon and Bailey Rhodes. Those seven seniors will also have the honor of picking the crosstown lineups for their respective schools.

“Hopefully it will be a little more fair (that way),” Robinson said. “Nobody can point fingers as us (coaches) because we chose one over the other.

“They will have a little planning to do, and scoring, and have to figure things out,” Robinson said of the seniors on their lineup selections.

Since both teams are on the smaller side numbers wise, and to even things up, the events will be combined to determine a winner.

The Flathead boys have an edge on the Glacier boys while Glacier girls are stronger than the Flathead girls.

“When you put them together, it gets real competitive,” he said. “There are a lot more options for everyone that way. There are more scenarios to play with. My goal is to have this come down to the very last event.”

A trophy won’t be up for grabs for the winner of the first crosstown.

“Working on it,” Robinson said.

“But bragging rights are on the line. Best of the Valley is a nice title to have (for the winner).”