The State A Swim Meet this weekend is one final chance for most swimmers to compete in an organized meet this season.

Athletes from across the state are attempting to clock their best times during the meet at the Aberdeen Aquatic Center.

“I worked really hard to swim at this meet,” said Claire Malsam of the Aberdeen Swim Club Stingrays, “and after this meet I’m just going to go home and relax.”

Malsam said she is swimming her best times of the season.

The 13-year-old was part of a relay team on Saturday. She said there can be more or less pressure competing on a team as opposed to individually, depending on how you look at it.

“There’s more and less pressure,” Malsam said. “I feel like there would be more pressure because you don’t want to let your teammates down, and then there would be less pressure because you know your teammates have got your back.”

Malsam said the state meet feels a bit different than a regular season event.

“I feel like there would be more stress, because it’s the state meet,” Malsam said. “It’s the last meet of the season. It’s quite loud.”

Malsam also runs track and field. While she enjoys competing in both sports, she said they are opposites when it comes to distances.

“In swimming, I like to do longer distances, because I don’t like sprinting in the water as much anymore,” she said. “In track I like sprinting a lot. I don’t like not sprinting.”

Both sports require her to be on her toes when the competition starts.

“When the gun goes off in track, you have to be quick to get up and start running,” Malsam said, “and the same with swimming. When the buzzer beeps, you just have to be ready to start swimming.”

FROM THE POOL TO THE GRIDIRON

Andrew Jorgenson of the Aberdeen Swim Club is easy to spot around the pool. It’s because the 17-year-old swimmer has a physique that dwarfs most of his competitors.

At 270 pounds, the member of the Aberdeen Central football team is much bigger than his foes.

He said swimming is actually tougher for him than football.

“Swimming takes a bit more energy, because you’re using all parts of your body at the same time,” said Jorgenson a lineman for the Golden Eagles. “For football you have to focus on driving with your legs, while trying to push people forward.”

Not only that, but because he is bulking up for his final season of high school football, Jorgenson has to work harder than his foes to carve his way through the water.

“I have to pull my entire body weight through the water, which is a bit more than most of these other people,” Jorgenson said.

However, while that may require a bit more work right now, it will pay dividends when football practice begins in about three weeks.

“I’ll be a bit more conditioned than everybody else,” Jorgenson said.

What do his football buddies think about his swimming exploits?

“Sometimes they make fun of it,” Jorgenson said, “but other times they think it’s cool, because I’ve been swimming for so long.”

Jorgenson is part of a swimming family. His sister, Gena, is a standout swimmer for the University of Nebraska and is someone he has looked up to through the years.

“She’s a really big inspiration, just for swimming and for working hard,” he said. “She’s worked hard for everything that she’s had.”

WATERTOWN DAD ON THE MOVE

Ryan Zink had a busy day on Saturday.

The Watertown man ran back and forth from the tennis courts to the aquatic center.

Zink’s son, Kaden, is competing in the state swim meet. Zink and his daughter, Ellie, are competing in the Hub City Open Tennis Tournament just a block south at the Northern State Courts.

“It worked out perfect,” Zink said. “A little singles tennis, and mixed doubles with my daughter, and then get to watch my son his senior year swimming in the state tournament.”

When asked which of the three was a bit more stressful, between his singles matches, the mixed doubles or watching the swim meet, Zink came up with a quick answer.

“It would probably have to be singles for me. Just getting mentally prepared for that,” he said. “Swimming I don’t get too stressed out, and playing with my daughter for the first time, I think it will just be fun.”

Zink said he tries to stay positive with his kids, regardless of the activity that they are competing in.

“I always just tell them to do their best and have fun. That’s the main thing,” Zink said. “If they’re doing that, whatever happens, happens.”

Zink said the location of the swimming and tennis was an ideal arrangement. He said if the tennis tournament would have taken place at Holgate, it would not have worked.

“It was perfect timing,” he said. “If it would have been at the other courts, I don’t think I probably would have played, but being that it was so close, it worked out.”

While Zink was busy running back and forth between the two venues, he was having a good time, enjoying the best of both sports.

“Aberdeen is a good host for the swim meet,” Zink said, “and the tournament has been fun so far.”

The swim meet concludes today.