By Gene Schallenberg
Sports
HUNTSVILLE — Huntsville freshmen Matthew Bitara and Sierra Wagner could hardly contain their excitement Thursday afternoon when talking about their upcoming meet.
The young Huntsville duo will be among the state’s top swimmers as they race in the UIL Swimming and Diving State Championships, which begin this morning at the Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin.
“All you can do right now is think about your races before you get up there and how much fun you’re going to have with your teammates,” Bitara said. “We’ve come this far and trained real hard.
“This is definitely a first. I’ve never been to a state meet before. It’s an honor to qualify for it. It takes a lot to get there. It really is going to be fun.”
“Texas is one of the fastest states in the country in terms of swimming times, so this is a pretty big accomplishment,” Wagner added.
The preliminary round begins today at 10 a.m.
Wagner will swim in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke where she brings in the 12th and 10th best times, respectively.
Bitara turned in the fifth and seventh top times two weeks ago at the Region 5 meet in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard individual medley, respectively.
While competing against the state’s best swimmers is no picnic, Wagner cited her previous experience with the Aggie Swim Club, which has helped her prepare for today’s races.
“We’ve been to a whole bunch of meets so we know how to prepare for them,” Wagner said. “We’ve both been to so many meets. It’s a big one, but it’ll just be like another one of those meets. Once we get in the water we know what we have to do.”
Like with all their previous meets, Bitara and Wagner don’t plan to change their pre-race routine, which consists of waking up at approximately 5 a.m., eating a small meal, then heading over to the pool.
“I get up and just try to think about and visualize my race,” Bitara said. “I may be nervous, but I just try to go in there and feel confident. You can’t fear other swimmers. If you do, then you get into some real trouble.”
The Huntsville freshmen have prepared themselves as much as can. They’re ready to put their training to good use and qualify for Saturday’s finals.
“We’re just real excited that the meet’s finally here,” Wagner said. “It’s been two weeks since the regional meet. I know I’m as ready as I’m going to be. Hopefully, we can advance to the finals and possibly place.”
