Community members came together to celebrate the Colusa Cyclones Swim Team’s successful season with a marathon swimming event on Saturday at the city pool.
Swimmers racked up about 3,000 laps toward their 100 mile goal set for the event – along with competing in freestyle swim races, a water treading event, relay races, and more.
The annual event also included a vendor fair, raffles, and water safety demonstrations by the Colusa County Sheriff’s Office watercraft patrol unit and Boys Scouts Troop 5 members Anthony Anderson and Sawyer Stocks.
“The Just Keep Swimming event is all about water safety,” said Master of Ceremonies Kent Boes.
Swimmers got in the water around 6 AM and swam a total of 75 miles before the contests began around 11 AM.
Swim Team President Melissa Ortiz recognized a number of swimmers who took advantage of the Colusa Town Pool this summer, which saw many improvements of its own in seating, shade, and other beautification projects.
The City of Colusa and the Colusa Swim Team teamed with the Colusa County Arts Council and Rotary Club of Colusa for the murals at the pool, said Swim Team board member Fernanda Vanetta.
In addition to artitsts Sierra Redding and Brenden Farrell, the kids painted murals at the pool, “bringing the arts that are outside the walls inside to our pool,” Venetta said.
Prior to Saturday’s competitions, Ortiz presented Heidi Coker, 62, of Colusa, who seldom missed a day at the pool since it opened in May, with a Colusa Cyclone towel and water bottle.
“She swam over 85 miles herself over the summer,” Ortiz said. “Our team is so proud of her. She is one of our mascots.”
Swim team member Maria Medina logged in 76 miles of her own.
The Just Keep Swimming event was not a fundraiser, but an opportunity for the community to enjoy the summer wrap to the pool season and competitive season for the Colusa Cyclones, whose members competed in five invitational swim meets this summer for the first time since the team was revived prior to the pandemic.
“We had tons of kids compete in all the competitions this year,” Ortiz said. “We had unbelievable amounts of improvements this year.”
The Colusa Cyclones had 105 total swimmers for the 2022 season, 25 on scholarships, with many taking home medals and ribbons in the championship meet with 24 teams in the league.
“For a team that is new to the bigger competitions, we did so well,” Ortiz said. “We came in third overall at the Gridley meet out of 14 teams. We just had a great competitive season.”
Vanetta said the Just Keep Swimming event was a way to give back to the community for all the support given this year to allow youth and the public to enjoy the activity of swimming.
“It’s fun and it’s healthy,” Vanetta said. ■