The Powell Swim Club found success at its three summer meets despite being a small fish in a big pond.

The Piranhas took eight swimmers to the Kate Holt Memorial, seven to the Wyoming A & B Long Course State Championships and just four to the Bozeman May Classic.

Head coach Jerry Rodriguez said the Piranhas made the most of their shorthanded squad.

“The kids that did go to the meets, they got the benefit of the experience and they did improve their time,” Rodriguez said.

The summer long-course season takes place in 50-meter pools rather than 50-yard pools, which are much more common in the United States.

Powell’s swimmers, who practice in the 50-yard pool at the Powell Aquatic Center, had to adjust during these three meets.

“Is it a big adjustment from 50 yards to 50 meters,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a real big adjustment. you don’t have as many turns … that makes the race a little bit long.”

State Championships

Powell’s final summer meet was at the Wyoming A & B Long Course State Championships in Gillette on July 17-19.

The highest finish came from 17-year-old Amanda Tracy, who took third place in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:17.48.

Tracy placed sixth in both the 200-meter IM (2:58.13) and the 200-meter freestyle (2:30.77), and finished eighth in the 50-meter freestyle (31.38).

Stephanie Liggett racked up six top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter IM (2:56.28).

Liggett, a 2015 graduate and decorated Powell Panther swimmer, continued her swim career through the summer.

“She’s just doing it because she loves doing it,” Rodriguez said. “She’s a real dedicated athlete. She’s a perfectionist so she’s always improving.”

Liggett, 17, was fifth in the 200-meter backstroke (2:54.89), 100-meter butterfly (1:18.35) and 100-meter backstroke (1:20.02), seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:34.21) and ninth in the 200-meter freestyle (2:42.17).

Josh Wright, half of Powell’s male contingent at state, earned fourth place in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:32.91. Wright also took ninth in the 200-meter freestyle (2:56.89).

Kacey Creed, 15, and Powell’s other male swimmer, took 10th in the 200-meter IM with a time of 2:56.89.

Katie Brown finished seventh in the 200-meter IM (3:16.90) and eighth in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:38.35).

Elizabeth Liggett, 12, placed 10th in the 200-meter IM (3:25.39) and 11th in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:49.37).

Powell even got a boost from the youngest Piranha, 8-year-old Gianna Marschman.

Marschman placed 16th in the 100-meter backstroke (1:20.52) and also competed in the 50-meter free and 50-meter fly.

Kate Holt Memorial

Powell got primed for state at the Kate Holt Memorial in Buffalo on July 11-12.

The Memorial’s 50-meter pool provided a well-timed practice for the Piranhas.

“That’s how we look at it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s always a good thing to have that practice for your turns.

“If any of them swim beyond here, at college … there are a lot more 50-meter pools, it helps to prepare for that.”

Powell won two events and placed in the top five in 19 other events.

Tracy won the 200-meter freestyle and finished in the top-five in her other two events. She took third in 100-meter backstroke (1:20.75) and fourth in the 50-meter free (30.82).

Wright placed in the top five of all but one of his eight events, including a win in the 400-meter free (6:53.98). The 12-year-old placed second in the 800-meter free (14:32.91) and third in the 50-meter backstroke (43.01). Wright took fourth in the 50-meter breast (51.86), the 100-meter backstroke (1:39.74) and the 100-meter breaststroke (1:57.83). He finished fifth in the 100-meter freestyle (1:22.60).

Marschman had four top-three finishes in Buffalo. The 8-year-old won the 50-meter fly (1:32.65), was the runner-up in the 50-meter breaststroke (1:22.69) and placed third in both the 50-meter free (1:03.01) and the 50-meter backstroke (1:15.70).

Lucia Harder, 9, took fourth in the 100-meter fly and eighth in the 200-meter free.

Grace Harder, 11, finished fourth in the 200-meter breaststroke.

“Some of the younger ones, who never even swam long course, it kind of gives them an idea of where they need to be going in their future,” Rodriguez said.

Gavin Asay had a pair of third-place finishes. The 15-year-old took third in the 200 IM (3:13.46) and the 100 breaststroke (1:40.09). He cut 5.17 seconds off of his previous best time in the IM.

Braden Schiller, 15, placed in the top five in four of his five events. His fourth-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke (1:31.25) was his best finish in Buffalo. Schiller took fifth in the 200-meter freestyle (2:50.60), 100-meter free (1:15.51) and the 100-meter breast (1:50.66). Schiller cut 5.36 seconds off of his personal best in the breaststroke.

Bozeman May Classic

Only four Piranhas made it to the first summer meet in Bozeman on May 15-17.

Tracy again led the way with four top-five finishes.

Her best finish was in the 50-meter fly, in which she placed third (36.86). Tracy took fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:37.98) and fifth in both the 200-meter IM (2:57.84) and the 50-meter free (31.84).

Braden Schiller finished seventh in the 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 49.17.

Nathan Johnston, 11, took eighth place in the 100-meter breaststroke with a personal-best time of 1:56.43. Johnston also swam the 200-meter free, 50-meter free and 50-meter fly.

Riley Schiller, 11, competed in the 50-meter free, 100-meter free, 50-meter back and 50-meter breaststroke.

The summer season officially ends on Aug. 14 and the 2015-16 winter season starts in September.

Rodriguez said the club is always looking for new swimmers to join.