{"id":1318117,"date":"2020-02-06T17:47:42","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T00:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=993373"},"modified":"2020-02-06T17:47:42","modified_gmt":"2020-02-07T00:47:42","slug":"divers-drive-glenwood-girls-swim-team-hopes-to-repeat-as-conference-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/divers-drive-glenwood-girls-swim-team-hopes-to-repeat-as-conference-champions\/","title":{"rendered":"Divers drive Glenwood girls swim team hopes to repeat as conference champions"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-1024x684.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Glenwood Springs High School diving team members, from left, Juliet McGill, Abby Scruton, Libby Claassen and Celia Scruton, in their natural environment on the springboard at the Glenwood Springs Community Center pool.<\/strong><br \/><em>John Stroud\/Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>A quartet of Glenwood Springs High School girls who spend as little time in the pool as possible look to key the Demons girls swim team as it prepares to defend its 3A Western Slope conference title this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>A big part of the Lady Demons\u2019 success in winning several dual and multi-team events this season has been the diving team.<\/p>\n<p>Coached by Lara Claassen, a former competitive diver herself, all four members of the dive team \u2014 Juliet McGill, Libby Claassen, Abby Scruton and Celia Scruton \u2014 have already qualified for next week\u2019s Class 3A state competition in Thornton, along with a host of Demon swimmers.<\/p>\n<p>Also pre-qualified for state among the Glenwood swimmers are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amy Madsen, sophomore,&nbsp;multiple events<\/li>\n<li>Ellie MacPherson, sophomore, multiple events<\/li>\n<li>Halley Diemer, senior,&nbsp;multiple events<\/li>\n<li>Kylee Smith, junior, multiple events<\/li>\n<li>Sally McDonnell, senior, 500 freestyle<\/li>\n<li>Sophie Moon, junior, 200 IM, 100 breaststroke<\/li>\n<li>Molly Hancock, senior,&nbsp;100 breaststroke<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of the Demons swimmers and divers will be looking to earn some critical team points for the Demons and hone their skills at the conference championships Friday and Saturday at the Colorado Mesa University aquatics center in Grand Junction.<\/p>\n<h4>Cross-sport talents<\/h4>\n<p>For senior dive team members McGill and Celia Scruton, and juniors Claassen (Lara\u2019s daughter) and Abby Scruton (Celia\u2019s sister), diving has offered a diversion from other sports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had been a gymnast for 11 or 12 years, and used to go to Gypsum to train,\u201d McGill said. \u201cI just felt like the drive would be too much in the winter every day, and so I decided to try diving instead.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After practicing on the springboard over the summer to get the hang of it, McGill\u2019s gymnastics skills kicked in and she was quickly performing on par with her veteran teammates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy gymnastics background definitely made it a lot easier. I know how to do the somersaults and all those things \u2026 it was just a matter of learning how to do it on a board.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Scruton sisters and Libby Claassen are also multi-sport athletes, most notably Celia Scruton, who just signed to play college soccer at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was playing basketball my first two years of high school, but ended up diving because of my sister,\u201d Celia Scruton said. \u201cI just wanted to be with her my last two years, and I ended up falling in love with diving and being part of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The only real crossover from soccer to diving is the mental game, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I get frustrated on the board, it shows, and that\u2019s the same way it is with soccer,\u201d she said. \u201cI just try to be relaxed and confident, knowing that I\u2019m capable of doing what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abby Scruton, who is the Demons\u2019 goalie on the soccer team in the spring, had doubled up as a member of the cheerleading squad, but decided to join Claassen on the dive team last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s gone pretty well,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have this great team dynamic, and we\u2019re all basically diving at the same level now because we\u2019re all so supportive of each other.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Libby Claassen said her mother\u2019s coaching has brought that talent out in all of the divers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s always been my inspiration, so when I was a freshman and she asked me about starting a dive team, of course I said yes,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s the best coach that we could ever hope for, and without her, we wouldn\u2019t be where we are today.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Tight bonds<\/h4>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-623x1024.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-993378\" width=\"312\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-623x1024.jpg 623w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-182x300.jpg 182w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-768x1263.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-934x1536.jpg 934w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-1246x2048.jpg 1246w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-2-scaled.jpg 1557w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px\"><figcaption><strong>GSHS diver Juliet McGill works on her form during a Wednesday practice at the Glenwood Springs Community Center pool as coach Lara Claassen looks on.<\/strong><br \/><em>John Stroud\/Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Diving coach Lara Claassen said the sister and mother-daughter components on the team can make for some interesting dynamics, but in a good way that\u2019s part of the team\u2019s drive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe transformation from three years ago has been astonishing,\u201d she said of Libby\u2019s freshman year.<\/p>\n<p>Having been a competitive diver herself growing up in Miami, learning under a high school coach who went on to coach in the Olympics, compelled Claassen to take on diving team in Glenwood Springs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of these girls are very athletic and very competitive, and they all push each other along,\u201d Claassen said. \u201cThey have just progressed really rapidly because of the dynamic on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Swim team coach Steve Vanderhoof said the diving contingent rounds out a team that isn\u2019t quite as strong as last year, but has the depth to defend its conference title.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn past years we haven\u2019t had any divers, so it kind of goes in cycles,\u201d Vanderhoof said.<\/p>\n<p>With two seniors and two juniors on the diving team this year, and none coming up through the ranks, he knows this could be the Demons\u2019 best chance to claim another league title.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to make a big difference for us at regionals,\u201d Vanderhoof said. \u201cDurango is always very strong, but we\u2019ll score some points in diving and hopefully be ahead going into the swimming events.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Riding the wave<\/h4>\n<p>The Lady Demons are coming off a team win at last weekend\u2019s Fruita Invitational, which was held at the same venue as the regional meet this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe also took about half the team to a four-team meet in Grand Junction on Jan. 23, and placed second behind Grand Junction,\u201d Vanderhoof said.<\/p>\n<p>Going into the final week before state, the Demons have also already qualified all three of their relay teams, the 200 medley and the 200 and 400 freestyle.<\/p>\n<p>Among the state qualifiers, each can swim two individual events and two relays.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3-1024x723.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-993379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3-1024x723.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3-768x542.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3-1536x1084.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/02\/Swimmers-gpi-020720-3.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>GSHS swim team coach Steve Vanderhoof gives instructions to his team members during Wednesday\u2019s practice at the Glenwood Springs Community Center pool, as they prepare for this weekend\u2019s 3A Regionals and West Slope Conference championships in Grand Junction.<\/strong><br \/><em>John Stroud\/Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Additional Demon swimmers could also qualify for state at this weekend\u2019s regionals. Among the hopefuls are: Maggie Friemel in the 50 and 500 freestyle; Emma Price in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke; Sally McDonnell in the 200 IM and Molly Hancock in the 100 fly.<\/p>\n<p>Vanderhoof noted that two of the regular team members are not able to swim at the conference meet, so he\u2019ll be looking to freshmen Samantha Anderson and Anna Moon, along with sophomores Alexa Helms and Taylor Joslin, to step up in their first conference meet experience.<\/p>\n<p>Competition begins Friday morning with prelims followed by the diving competition at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"jstroud@postindependent.com (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"mailto:jstroud@postindependent.com\" target=\"_blank\"><em><a href=\"mailto:jstroud@postindependent.com\">jstroud@postindependent.com<\/a><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/divers-drive-glenwood-girls-swim-team-hopes-to-repeat-as-conference-champions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Glenwood Springs High School diving team members, from left, Juliet McGill, Abby Scruton, Libby Claassen and Celia Scruton, in their natural environment on the springboard at the Glenwood Springs Community Center pool.John Stroud\/Post Independent A quartet of Glenwood Springs High School girls who spend as little time in the pool as possible look to key [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1318117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-06 00:36:15","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1318117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1318117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1318117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1318117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}