Starkville Swim Team captures two gold, six silver medals in Hubley’s final meet as coach

TUPELO – Seeing Starkville Swim Team’s younger aquatic athletes seize some medals and stand proud on the rostrum final week on the Mississippi Swimming Inc. Long Course Championships supplied a robust injection of cheer into what was a bittersweet day for head coach Melissa Hubley.

It was her final meet as head coach of the workforce, and what a meet it was.

Timur Gabitov, a 14-year-old Starkville High School pupil, and Evalyn Wu, an 11-year-old pupil at Partnership Middle School, each placed on a podium inserting show as they captured a mixed two gold medals and 6 silver medals. Their performances earned them a visit to Orlando, Florida, to compete within the Southern Zone Age Group Championships, which start on July 30. The two had been joined on the meet by seven different Starkville Swimmers.

Gabitov positioned first within the 400-meter particular person medley and within the 200-meter butterfly. His two second place swims had been within the 100-meter butterfly and the 400-meter particular person medley. Wu notched 4 silver medals within the 50-meter breaststroke, 100-meter backstroke, 50-meter backstroke and the 50-meter freestyle.

“She’s talented,” Hubley stated of Wu. “She, especially in her races, gives 100% every time. So, she’s exciting to watch and has a bright future as well.”

Cooper Koehn earned second place within the 50-meter breaststroke, Baraka Nyatta positioned fifth within the 200-meter backstroke and sixth within the 100-meter backstroke, Effia Wu positioned seventh within the 200-meter breaststroke, Britten Whittington notched tenth within the 200-meter backstroke, Axl Landers positioned seventh within the 100-meter backstroke, Cole Tucker improved his finest instances within the 50-meter breaststroke and 50-meter backstroke at his first ever meet and AddyGrace Whittington helped the 200-meter freestyle relay workforce earn eighth place.

Hubley stated Gabitov’s meet was particularly thrilling as a result of he’s been battling again from a damaged leg he suffered over a yr in the past that stored him out of the pool for some time.

“He was already starting to show his talent and his prospects for the future, and that kind of set him back. I just feel like since he’s come back it’s been this steady rise,” she stated. “He comes into practice ready to work. If there is a part of the set where he can choose something harder he’ll choose that harder thing. … He just embraces that part of swimming. It’s difficult, it’s painful and he just does it everyday with a smile on his face. Any setbacks he’s ever had, whether they’re small or big, he can just brush them off. If he doesn’t have a good swim, he can forget about it, but when he is focused and is really feeling good in the moment – he is improving so rapidly and it’s exciting to see.”

It’s tales like that which make leaving the workforce laborious for Hubley, a former Washington State University swimmer. She has spent 4 years with the workforce, the final 18 months as head coach, and helped information this system from being a department of Shockwave Aquatics in Tupelo to establishing itself as its personal group throughout her tenure, together with teaching her swimmers to many medals and podium finishes.

“I was really proud of that process to (become) a community team,” she stated.

But because the full-time aquatics coordinator at Mississippi State University and mom to a few kids, the time dedication to the Starkville Swim Team had grow to be an excessive amount of to deal with. So, standing on the aspect of the pool because the workforce’s coach for one final meet left her having to battle again some tears.

“I wasn’t so emotional all the time, but a handful of times during the meet it started to feel overwhelming because I put so much time and energy into these swimmers,” stated Hubley, who is also the pinnacle swimming coach at Starkville High School. “And to see them exceed their goals and winning medals and getting best times, just seeing their joy and excitement of them reaping the benefits of their hard work, it was definitely emotional at times. I will miss being the one to see them through that process.”

But don’t fear. Hubley is probably not the workforce’s head coach, Donald Williams is now the brand new man in cost, however she isn’t leaving Starkville. She’s nonetheless going to work at State and might nonetheless be discovered teaching swimmers at native swimming pools. She stated the Starkville Swim Team is primed for achievement underneath its new coach.

“I’m really happy with where the team is at, and it looks to have a bright future under (under Williams),” Hubley stated.