SAN ANTONIO – Thieves were proven to be no match for the Comal ISD Canyon Lake High School girls swim team this week.
School officials say the team’s school bus was broken into and all of their belongings were stolen just before their regional meet on Thursday. Still, the team was not deterred and still managed several record-breaking performance.
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“We’ve talked to our students all year about fighting through every obstacle and performing through adversity,” head coach Kimberly Moses said in a statement. “That is exactly what they did. Our ladies walked into the natatorium early in the morning as athletes and walked out late in the evening as champions.”
Six swimmers and two coaches took part in the Region VII-5A girls championships at the Josh Davis Natatorium and Bill Walker Pool in San Antonio. The swimmers took a break from the pool for lunch, and their school bus was locked in the parking lot of the restaurant, the school district said.
However, when they returned, they found one of the bus’ windows had been smashed and all of their belongings had been taken, according to Comal ISD.
The team reached out to the school district right after the incident and soon received new equipment, a new bus and were at the natatorium just in time for warmup and competition at 4 p.m., officials said.
The swimmers managed to qualify for several A-finals. Below are some of the team’s best performances, according to Comal ISD:
- In the 100 yard Breaststroke, Caleigh Krystyniak, 10th grade, finished 7th overall with a time of 1:18.12, breaking the school record of 1:18.68, set in 2012.
- In the 200 yard Freestyle Relay, the team of Danielle Carty, 12th grade; Shelby Palmer, 11th grade; Danielle Zulueta, 11th grade, and Krystyniak finished 8th overall in 1:56.23, breaking the school record of 1:57.06, set in 2012 as well.
- Katie Hettinger, 12th grade, and Estrella Meija, 11th grade, were alternates.
“After replacing six new swimsuits, six pairs of goggles and six swim caps, these ladies competed like never before,” Moses said in a statement. “We couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments in and out of the pool this season. Though the bus was empty, our hearts are very full.”
For leading her team through the crisis, head coach Kimberly Moses was named Coach of the Meet.
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