Olympic opportunity comes to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - For the past 50 years the Manta Rays Swim Team has put a great deal of time and effort into being the premier competitive swimming program in Grant County providing an outstanding service for area citizens.

To continue this tradition the Moses Lake Manta Rays have made a historic and pivotal move in the youth sports arena. They recently, in March of 2008, hired a full-time professional swim coach. The new coach will be working with swimmers of all ages on a year-round basis to develop excellence in swimming.

The team hired Stephen Witcher, an outstanding swim coach with impressive credentials. Witcher was the coach of one of the top 10 swim clubs in California, San Jose Aquatics. While there, he produced multiple senior national, junior national and Olympic trial qualifiers including 1988 Olympic gold medalist Troy Dalby.

Witcher made the move to Cascade Swim Club of Seattle in 1989 and brought the club from approximately 60 swimmers to more than 230. While under Witcher for 15 years, Cascade was a terrific club and won a Pacific Northwest Swimming Association championship. He developed Olympic trial qualifiers, World Cup qualifiers, junior national qualifiers and swimmers in the "top 16" in the nation at the age group level. He is well known throughout swimming and has a great reputation.

Witcher indicated his vision for the team.

"(I want) to bring competitive swimming back to the degree is was 10 years ago, and beyond," said Witcher. "To get there we offer a competitive program from novice through elite levels of swimming. We start with the precompetitive program in which kids are taught basic skills that prepare them for the next step."

"Then we move into the competitive age-group level when kids get to compete at the local and regional level," Witcher continued. "Age-group leads to senior level swimming which typically involves high school-age athletes. Senior swimmers compete at the local, regional, national and hopefully international levels."

The Olympic dream is alive and well for swimmers in Grant County.

Witcher also implemented a Masters Swimming Program that is open to any adult, ages 18 and older. This is a program that gives adults the opportunity to swim laps, get help with strokes, develop conditioning, prepare for triathlons and even compete in masters meets if they desire. Among his accomplishments Witcher, at one time, was one of the top-ranked triathletes in the nation for his age group

Witcher would like to invite anyone interested in trying out and participating at the precompetitive age group, senior or master levels to visit the team Web site at mlmr.org. This site will give interested persons information about how to contact him and join a healthy and positive program.