Grapevine seniors swim back to state meet

Grapevine sailed to both the boys and girls regional swim meet titles recently and now prepares for the state swimming and diving meet next week.

Making a return trip to Austin again this year are two of Grapevine’s regional event winners and seniors.

Madison Chao and Ben Kalmbach will look to improve on their finishes last year, but both feel having the experience under their belt will be advantageous.

Chao qualified in the 200m IM and the 100m Back, the same events she competed in at state last year.

Having gone to the state meet last year, Chao said she intends to improve on her 16th place finish in the 200 IM and her ninth-place finish in the 100 Back.

“It was my first time ever swimming at the UT pool and I feel like having been there before and just knowing how strenuous it is will be a benefit,” she said.

Chao won both the events at the regional swim meet. The two relays she swam with got second and fourth but didn’t make the call-up for the trip to Austin.

With another year under her belt, Chao said her times in both events have dropped about a second in each.

Her best times would put her at about a 13th seed in the IM and ninth in the Back.

Chao will cap off her high school career after having started swimming about a decade ago, she said, having started in the 100m IM and the 50m Back. The transition was natural for her, boosting the distance as she got stronger.

The year has been especially successful to Chao as she said this year’s team has seemed to be more motivated, having broken two school records.

“Everyone’s stepped up at regionals and have ended on a good note,” she said, adding the girls had finished second last year to Mansfield Lake Ridge.

Chao plans to continue swimming next year, having given a verbal commitment to Western Illinois, outside Chicago.

That same desire to compete in college resonates with Kalmbach, although he hasn’t yet made a decision where he will attend.

Kalmback qualified in the 500m Free – where he finished second at the regional – and the 400m Free relay, an event the Grapevine quartet finished third, but still made the cut for state.

Last year at the state meet, Kalmbach didn’t swim the races he had envisioned.

“It was not was I was hoping for,” he said, having finished sixth in the 500 Free. “I had gotten sick before regionals. This year I’m being super careful and taking Airborne,” Kalmbach added.

The 500m is the longest race in the UIL and requires great endurance, a type of race that Kalmback stumbled upon in his freshman year when the coaching staff decided to experiment with the rookie.

“I never knew I was a distance swimmer when they threw me into the 500,” Kalmbach joked. “I swam it for the first time and when I figured out how well I did, I just kept getting better.”

In addition to endurance, Kalmbach said the 500 requires more strategy than other races.

“I think I like the 500 because it is a very strategic race. I think of how fast the first 100 should be and I try to set the pace in my mind before I even get in the water. I visualize myself finishing first,” Kalmbach said.

This season has also been gratifying for Kalmbach and the Mustangs, having dethroned Mansfield Legacy from the boys’ regional championship.

“We ended Legacy’s legacy,” he said, laughing.

Kalmbach said last years’ experience at state will be helpful, but he contends much of the competition has also been there, too.

“These swimmers have been swimming since they were 5, 6 or 7 years old. I do think the experience helps a little bit and I know about the pressure because you do want to do well there,” he said.

Kalmbach, like most competitive swimmers in the area, swims year round with club teams and feels the exposure to other coaching is beneficial.

“Coach [Daniel at Grapevine] Jau and [Shannon of Mid-Cities/Arlington Swimming] Gillespie have made me who I am,” Kalmbach said.

In addition to swimming his varsity and club team workouts at the GCISD pool, Kalmbach also works part-time at the aquatic center.

“It’s my second home,” he said.

This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Grapevine seniors swim back to state meet."