“If I only had one day left to live please take me to a swim meet because they seem to last forever,” quips Judd Partridge, father of Brighton swimmer Austin Partridge. 

Indeed, they do. High school swim meets consist of 22 events that come off without announcements like clockwork over an entire afternoon. Both parents and swimmers are patient waiting for their moment to arrive. This season, Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) added “event 23.” This new and highly anticipated event is a mixed 50-yard freestyle race under the banner of Unified Sports for special ed student-athletes. 

When the waves subsided, Brighton sophomore Dylan Etherington stood supreme. He is the first ever state champion of “event 23” finishing the 50-yard sprint in under 40 seconds. 

Event 23 is definitely worth the wait. λ