The Owensboro Marlins hosted the Fast and Furious Invitational at the Owensboro Health HealthPark where they competed against five other swim clubs. They also celebrate the club’s 25th anniversary this year.
The meet consisted of teams from Murray, Paducah, Wabash Valley, IN, Newburgh, IN and Carbondale, IL. The meet was spread out across three days from Nov. 3-5. The competitive meet was open to all ages as the competition divided the swimmers into age groups such as 8 and under, 10 and under, 11-12 and 13 and up, etc. This was the Marlins’ first home meet and the third of the short course season.
The Owensboro Marlins celebrates its 25th anniversary and is continuing to grow each year. Outgoing President Melissa Embry said the organization is thankful for the participation and support of their swimmers and fans.
“We have been a competitive swim club for 25 years,” she said. “We’re very excited to be celebrating our 25th anniversary. This year we are looking forward to our swimmers continuing to improve and making personal record times. We’re looking forward to having more swimmers make state cuts so they can compete in the state competition in March. We’re very thankful for our coaches, parents and swimmers who continue to sustain our program and help us grow.”
The club welcomes all ages and skill levels as swimmers are placed into groups based on age and ability with opportunities to move up into more advanced groups focused on competitive competitions.
The Marlins’ competitive swim team swims year-round with the short course season, where swimmers compete in a 25-yard pool, in the Fall/Winter and the long course season, where swimmers compete in a 50-meter or Olympic size pool, in the Summer. Swimmers compete for the opportunity to make it to state and national competitions.
With 70 members and growing, current president Cindy Miller Bowman is confident the program will continue to grow for many more years to come, she said. The program is looking forward to next year as Olympic years tend to see a spike in membership, Bowman said. Over the last eight years, Bowman said the program has seen higher retention rates for those who join the club.
“I’ve noticed a lot of consistency and kids sticking around longer than giving it a year and saying it isn’t for them,” she said. “A lot of the eight-year-olds are now 14- and 15-year-olds that are swimming now, so it’s the consistency of staying with the program. Over the eight years that I’ve been here, I’ve also noticed that they show up every day versus just twice a week, so the kids have been putting more work in and they have a better work ethic.”
