Cool way to beat the heat

WINCHESTER -- Everybody at the Umpqua Community College swimming pool agreed it was hot Saturday afternoon. They also agreed that the best sport to compete in in such heat was swimming.

So the 380 young entrants, including 90 from the host Roseburg Swim Team, hardly missed a stroke in the annual Roseburg Rotary Comspan Open Swim Meet as they dove in at 9:30 Saturday morning and competed through the day into the evening. The meet will conclude today with the 10-and-under swimmers starting at 9:30 a.m. and the 11-and-over swimmers diving in at 2 p.m.

"If it is going to be hot, swimming is the right sport compared to other sports like tennis, soccer and football," said Sam Stadter, 11, a member of the Roseburg Swim Team. "But even in the water, you can feel the sun."

"It's really hot," added Roseburg teammate Brittany Groves, 16. "But I love it."

Teammate Taylor Rash, 15, also didn't mind the heat.

"I like it better when it's hot," he said.

The temperature in the Roseburg area on Saturday was officially recorded at 104 degrees. The pool's water temperature was supposed to be 79 degrees but Roseburg swim coach Brian Holm estimated it was 81 because of the bright sun. The pool's heater was turned off.

Holm said two keys for the swimmers to stay energized for their events despite the heat were drinking plenty of water and staying out of the direct sunlight when not in the water.

"But we're having so much fun, the heat is not affecting them ... yet," he said. "But we still have the rest of today and tomorrow."

Holm said many of the Roseburg swimmers experienced an even hotter meet a month ago when they competed in Redding, Calif., where the thermometer reached 117 degrees. He said his 25 swimmers went through the 26 gallons of water he purchased for the weekend in addition to whatever water they obtained.

"The kids know what to expect and how to deal with it," Holm said of the hot weather. "Most of the preparation is mental. If you felt really hot, really lazy and were sitting in the sun, don't do that this time. If you feel hot and overheated, jump in the pool and cool the body temperature down. Just don't get overheated and dehydrated."

At the Redding meet, one official passed out because of the heat. At the Roseburg meet, there were green tarps stretched over the starting blocks area to give the timers shade and there were six open-sided pop-up tents to provide shade for other officials and coaches. The swimmers and their families and fans found shade on the covered walkways just outside the pool enclosure.

"The sun can drain your energy," said Roseburg's Cassie O'Neill, 18. "I just stay in the shade and fill up my water bottle about every 20 minutes."

O'Neill, a recent Roseburg High graduate who will attend and swim at the University of Chicago this fall, has plenty of hot swim meet experience. She competed in Fresno, Calif., in 2000 when it was 115, in Tempe, Ariz., in 2003 when it was again 115 and in Redding in 2004 when it was 110.

"Those were dry heats," she said. "I've put up with hotter so this doesn't really bother me. I just think cold thoughts."

Groves said that at one point during the Redding meet, she had 12 water bottles lined up that she had drank.

"You just go to the bathroom every once in a while," she said with a laugh. "That's better than being dehydrated.

"It's just a matter of taking care of yourself," she added. "Right now we're just having fun."

Through the day, some water bottles were being used by the swimmers to douse their teammates and friends in some "cool" horseplay. A few swimmers were also seen with cones topped with a couple scoops of ice cream. That cold food helped ease the heat, but the coaches don't recommend eating too much sugar during competition.

Holm said the meet was running smooth and "90 to 95 percent of the Roseburg swims were producing lifetime bests."

"The kids' strokes look good, from the youngest to the oldest," the coach said. "But that's expected at the home meet and at mid-season."

"I've PR'd in almost everything -- three out of four events," Rash said. "This is a great meet."