Final kick of the swim season

PALOUSE — Through changes in home pool sites due to ongoing renovations, this summer season for the Tri-County Swim League has certainly been notable.

From personal bests and several close matchups, the final regular-season matchups of the year have come to an end. The championship meet is set for 10 a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Palouse pool.

“The season went really well. All the teams who hosted put a lot of effort into their meets and we appreciate them,” said Tiffani Organ, a swim coach for the St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse-Washtucna (SELW) swim team. “County should be an exciting day for our swimmers to show how much they’ve improved this year. We hope these swimmers continue swimming next year and we encourage new swimmers to join!”

According to Tri-County Swim League Director Katie Bailey, the league was originally established by the Jerry Cluckey family of Colfax. It’s a novice league designed to provide swimming competition opportunities for children who might not otherwise get the option.

“It is a wonderful tradition that even I as a child participated in when growing up in Endicott,” Bailey said. “At the time, our team was ELW (Endicott, Lacrosse, Washtucna). Many of our participating swimmers come back to volunteer coach or help manage teams to keep our league running.

This Saturday, Aug. 3, will be the 59th annual Jerry Cluckey Memorial swim meet. There are currently 155 swimmers from five teams and 11 towns of Colfax, Pomeroy, Pullman, St. John, Endicott, LaCrosse, Washtucna, Garfield, Palouse Oakesdale and Potlatch registered for the meet.

“This league binds communities together and builds a love of swimming that can last a lifetime,” Bailey said.