A huge congratulations to Max Smirnov and Everett Bell on outstanding performances at the Region IV 5A Swim Meet! Competing against top athletes from across the region, both swimmers represented Melissa High School with pride, with Max earning a trip to the State Swim Meet for the second year in a row in the 100 Breaststroke.
At the regional meet, Everett placed 7th in the 50 Freestyle and 6th in the 100 Freestyle, while Max earned a 13th-place finish in the 50 Freestyle and an impressive 4th-place finish in the 100 Breaststroke. Max advanced to State as one of the next eight fastest times in the entire state of Texas, an incredible accomplishment that earned him a spot among the top 24 swimmers statewide and a trip to the State Swim Meet in Austin on February 21-22.
Max shared his thoughts on his accomplishments, “Swimming for Melissa has been an incredible experience. It has been an honor to help introduce a new sport to our school, to be the first swimmer from Melissa to qualify for the state meet, and to build interest in swimming as a whole.”
He added, “The friendships I’ve made and the improvements I’ve achieved are a direct result of the support from our athletic department, especially Coach Stinton and Coach Sparks. Throughout all four years, I’ve always looked forward to swim season and often pushed past exhaustion to reach the point I’m at today.”
“We are so proud of our swimmers, Max Smirnov, Everett Bell, Liliana Wong, and Lillian Montbriand, for an outstanding season representing Melissa ISD,” shared MISD Athletic Director Seth Stinton. “Each of these student-athletes competed with dedication, sportsmanship, and pride, making our district proud every step of the way. Congratulations to all four swimmers on a fantastic year and for being such wonderful representatives of Melissa ISD!”
We applaud all our swimmers for their hard work, dedication, and success this season, and wish Max the best of luck at the State Swim Meet. Go Cardinals!