The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs, Colorado — Kyle Steitz insists Cole Worsley doesn’t get nervous.

Steitz, a senior on the Moffat County High School swim team and a Steamboat resident, said when it comes to Friday and Saturday’s Colorado Swim and Dive State Championships in Fort Collins, Worsley won’t let the big stage and a legitimate shot at two individual state titles get the best of him.

“He never gets nervous,” Steitz said Wednesday while preparing for the championships. “He’s usually the one that has to calm me down.”

Worsley, also a Steamboat resident, certainly wouldn’t be at fault, however, if there are some nerves.

The junior has the fastest qualifying time in the 100-yard butterfly (53.6 seconds) and second fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle (21.96). Last year he finished runner-up in the 50 free to Silver Creek’s Nick Koener. This year, Koener again has the top time in the 50 free.

“I’m hoping to get first in both,” Worsley said. “It’s going to be tough in the 50, though.”

Worsley highlights the biggest team Moffat County swim coach Patti Worsley has taken to state.

In addition to Cole Worsley, Steitz will swim in the 100-yard backstroke and 500-yard freestyle. Steamboat resident Cody Poirot will swim in the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley and freestyle relays. Greg Ingalls will join Poirot in the 200 medley. Cole Worsley and Steitz also will swim in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

Moffat County’s Tyler Kalsow will swim in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.

“Since I’ve been coaching, this is the most number of kids I’ve had attending state,” Patti Worsley said. “The boys have already set quite a few pool records. I just hope they swim as fast as they can and have their best times.”

Although none of the relays are ranked in the top five — the 200 free is the top relay, ranking seventh — Patti Worsley said she thinks the relays have a chance to make the finals.

Either way, with the way the season has gone — at times training outside in blizzards — Patti Worsley said she has no doubt the weekend will be a success.

“I’m excited for the boys,” she said. “They’ve worked really hard. Basically, Cole is the only one who swims year-round. To have them excelling the way they are, it’s pretty exceptional. They just really performed at a high level.”

The event begins with preliminaries at 9 a.m. Friday. Finals follow at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

— To reach Luke Graham, call 871-4229

or e-mail lgraham@steamboatpilot.com