There is something in the water in Montrose.
There is no designation on the periodic table to describe exactly what it is, but it already has produced one golden state trophy, and a second could be on the way.
Montrose’s Indians made history in 2004, becoming the first team (male or female) west of the Continental Divide to win a Colorado swimming title. A sophomore-dominated squad won it all in 2004. Those guys are now seniors and will try to do it again next month in Fort Collins.
So what is the secret to the Indians’ success? How is it that a team on the Western Slope, not in more heavily populated Grand Junction or Durango, can win it all?
“These guys couldn’t take short cuts in their teen years,” said Montrose coach Silas Almgren, who has been at the helm for 15 years. “When they were 13 or 14 years old and all their buddies were drawn into all the other middle school sports, these kids stayed very committed to training and swimming.
“And that’s really the secret.”
Just last week, in a triangular meet with perennial power Cherry Creek and defending Class 4A champion Thompson Valley, Montrose prevailed. The Indians won seven of the 12 events in a meet that scored just the top three placers.
“What a big confidence booster,” said Steven Wiesner, who won the 100-yard butterfly and the 200 individual medley. “It’s nice to know we can come out and swim the way we did, especially after being tired from a long week of practice.”
Not to mention the long bus ride. Four-and-a-half hours, if the weather is good, to the Front Range. A trip they will make four times, including Friday and Saturday as part of the Jefferson County Invitational.
“Their front-line guys are some of the best in the state, either 5A or 4A,” Thompson Valley coach Steve Foster said. “They are well coached, and being such a close, cohesive group only helps them in the water.”
That group includes, Wiesner, John Thomas, Kyle Weiss and Eric Sramek, who have been swimming together for 12 years, not only with the school but also the Montrose Marlins club team. All were part of the state champion 400 freestyle relay team last season – the Indians were third in the overall team chase – and junior Phil Rossi anchored the 200 medley team with Thomas Weiss and Wiesner that won a title.
Just how does a team nestled in the southwestern part of the state get noticed nationally?
University of Wisconsin men’s and women’s coach Eric Hansen, who also is the U.S. national team coach, has recruited Colorado hard over the years, including Wiesner’s two older siblings, Eric and Andrea.
Hansen molded Eric, a six-time Colorado state champion, into a college Division I All-American. Andrea also won six state titles, and will be a senior next season in Madison.
Coaching excellence
Hansen points to Almgren as the cog that makes the Indians go.
“Silas is the key. He points to the overall development of the athlete and not just the swimming aspect,” he said. “It’s kind of the holistic approach instead of a single-minded one. He values the whole athlete instead of focusing on that one aspect.
“I think very highly of what he does.”
Hansen, who lived and trained at Colorado Springs’ Olympic Training Center in the early 1990s as part of the national team, developed a “network of coaches” in the area and annually attends the state meet in Fort Collins. Because of NCAA regulations, Hansen was unable to comment on the status of the youngest Wiesner, but, according to Steven, “I’ll be there.”
Montrose’s exposure nationally is year-round. Trips to Florida, Indianapolis and Texas for meets have a greater effect on the college coaches.
On top of all that, Montrose invites neighboring Grand Junction, Fruita, Durango and Glenwood Springs swimmers with them to Arizona for a distance training camp. That doesn’t sound like fun.
“It’s anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 yards per practice every day,” Wiesner said.
EPIC journey
Some teams catch lightning in a bottle and have that one magical trip that’s good enough to win a state title.
Montrose already has been there and done that, essentially with the same team it has now. The only difference is the Indians are expected to win and, unlike 2004, they aren’t going to sneak up on the rest of the field.
“I think when we won state, that turned some heads, and that is certainly a good thing,” Thomas said. “At the same time, you can say it backfired, because maybe now we are favored.
“We just can’t have that mentality. We’d be finished already. There are absolutely no guarantees.”
Hot on the heels of Montrose at the Edora Pool Ice Center will be Broomfield, Thompson Valley, Pine Creek and Cheyenne Mountain.
“This isn’t a ‘Hoosiers’ type of thing,” Almgren said. “It’s just these guys benefiting from the work of the previous athletes here.”
Staff writer Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
