Bedford Surf swim team going strong at 35

Summer and swimming just go together.

And since 1982, the Bedford Surf swim team has made the most out of summer in terms of fun and success. As the team prepares to start its 35th season, coach Jesse Barton is once again excited about what lies ahead for his squad.

“The main goal during the summer season is to have fun,” he said. “We get swimmers of all ages and abilities every summer, and if they have fun while improving at the same time, that is our recipe for success.”

Suffice to say, the Surf has enjoyed its share of success over the years. Typically it has 80 to 90 swimmers on the team.

“I would love to hit 100,” Barton said.

Among the top returners from last season are Nicholas and Alissa Duderstat, along with Keegan Crews in the 10-Under division; and Anna Davis, Colette Ford, Yuzhou Lie, Mariah Rojas and Jonathan Maxwell in the 11-Up category.

The Surf season begins June 10 at the Southlake Meet. They will also co-host a meet with Southlake on June 17, both at the Carroll School District Natatorium.

Subsequent regular-season meets will be at Weatherford on June 23 and at Fort Worth Ridglea on July 8. The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Region 4 Meet is July 15-16 at the Keller Natatorium, and the TAAF State Games of Texas are July 27-30 in McAllen.

The Surf features swimmers from age 5 and up. Barton said the oldest member last summer was 62.

And while the team is competitive, the main agenda, Barton said, is fun and improvement.

“We help swimmers improve in all areas of swimming. The younger swimmers will focus more on stroke development and technique,” he said. “The older groups will include different training types and racing strategies, along with continued stroke and technique work.”

Final tryouts for the Surf this season are June 2. Practices are from 7:15-8 p.m. and 8-9:15 p.m. (depending on age) at the Bedford Splash Family Aquatic Center.

Cost to participate is $130 per swimmer, plus applicable state dues. This includes coaches’ fees, lifeguard, team T-shirt and swim cap. For those advancing to the state meet, an additional cost of $7 per event is incurred.

For more information, visit www.bedfordsurf.com.

Euless Track Team set for another season

The Euless Track Team, for ages 6 through high school, gets another summer of competition underway June 3 with a meet at Arlington Bowie High School. Other meets include June 10 at Mineral Wells High School, June 17 at Flower Mound High School, June 24 at Little Elm High School, and July 8 at Coppell High School.

The TAAF Region 4 Meet is July 14-15 at The Colony High School, from which qualifiers will advance to the State Games of Texas two weeks later in McAllen.

Cost to participate is $30 per person. The fee includes TAAF registration, a Euless Track Team jersey and professional instruction. For more information, call 817-685-1838.

Healthy Hurst Splash & Dash

For those who want a good run followed by a dip in the pool, the Healthy Hurst Splash & Dash is scheduled for June 10 at the Central Aquatics Center. A 1-mile fun run begins at 7:30 a.m. and a 5K starts at 7:50.

Pre-registration for the free event, open to Healthy Hurst Members, is at the Hurst Recreation Center through June 8. Race day registration is from 7-7:25 a.m. at the pool.

For more information, call 817-788-7320.

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Bedford Surf swim team going strong at 35."