Five and Flying: Meeker Marlins ride the wave to another state title
- ERBM Marketing
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
by Jared Henderson on August 6, 2025
MEEKER | They’re known as the Meeker Marlins, and they have become a force to be reckoned with.
This past weekend in Cortez, the Marlins swam their way to a fifth consecutive Colorado seasonal state championship, extending a dominant streak that now spans half a decade. They did it in style — setting state records, earning top individual honors, and breaking more than 20 team records along the way.
This year, changes to the classification system bumped the Marlins from the small team division to medium, based on the number of entries submitted. Despite bringing just 10 swimmers to the state meet, eight of them qualified for 10 or more events, adding up to 86 total swims — enough to compete with much larger teams.
“We thought, ‘Uh oh, are we gonna win this year? We’re not a small team anymore,’” said head coach Shelly Rogers. “And we won — for the fifth time in a row. A five-peat.”
Leading the charge was standout swimmer Tucker Chinn, who shattered three state records — in the 50 backstroke, 50 butterfly and 50 fly — and was named Male Athlete of the Year. Remarkably, Chinn wasn’t even on the ballot and won the award as a write-in candidate.
“I think out of the three records I broke, the 50 butterfly meant the most to me because I broke the record of a 25.57 by almost a whole second, getting a 24.62, which is a very considerable amount of time for a short sprint race,” Chinn said. “I was completely not expecting to get Male Athlete of the Year because there had been so many nominations before my name was even mentioned. I am extremely grateful, especially for Coach Shelly, and very honored to have received this award.”
Chinn wasn’t the only one turning heads. He and his younger brother Fletcher Chinn both earned first-place high point awards, while Evelyn Borchard, Sebastian Baumgart and Adrian Baumgart claimed second-place honors. High point awards are given to swimmers in each age group who accumulate the most points across their events, regardless of team size.
“These awards aren’t divided by divisions,” Rogers said. “They’re for all 13 teams at state — big, small and medium. For half our swimmers to finish in the top two is amazing.”
In total, the Marlins broke 21 team records at the meet, and nearly every swimmer achieved a personal best, falling short in only a few events.
The secret to their success? Rogers pointed to hard work, team spirit and a relentless drive to improve. Several swimmers even arrived early to morning practices, getting in extra laps before official workouts began.
“They weren’t asked to do that,” Rogers said. “They chose to. That kind of commitment really shows.”
The Marlins also had help from outside the pool. Dexter Chinn, another member of the team, sang the national anthem at the competition on two different days, earning recognition from athletes, coaches and spectators alike for his vocal performance and sportsmanship. Which was another highlight from the state meet.
When asked what it meant to win the title for a fifth straight year, Rogers said the feeling was hard to put into words.
“These guys work so hard during the season,” she said. “Our practices are from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and a handful of them come in at 7 just to get extra yardage in. For us to be able to swim that well in just two months and really stand out among these other teams — it’s amazing.”
Rogers said the team’s maturity also played a role in their continued success.
“They’re realizing that they need more yardage,” she said. “They come in at that 7 a.m. time. I just put on the board what they should be doing for that first half hour because I have to work, but they do it on their own. I didn’t tell them they had to. Half the team just came in and did it. I think that made a big difference this year as well.”
Looking ahead to next season and the possibility of a sixth straight title, Rogers kept it simple.
“We’re gonna keep working, and we’re gonna keep going to the meets,” she said. “We’re going to swim with these year-round teams. We’re going to swim long course.”
Rogers also credited the Western Slope’s competitive swimming culture, pointing to regular matchups with year-round swimmers from teams in Aspen, Grand Junction and Montrose. That higher level of competition, she believes, has helped sharpen the Marlins’ edge.
Next season, the team will lose Tucker Chinn to year-round competition, making him ineligible for the summer state meet. Reflecting on the end of his time with the Marlins, Chinn said finishing his career with three records and a team title was exactly how he hoped to go out.
“My goal was to leave with a bang that will be remembered, and that’s exactly what I did,” he said. “I love this team and am so happy we were able to pull off a five-peat, even after moving up to a medium-size team. I’m not yet sure what the future of my swimming career holds, but nonetheless, I am filled with anticipation for what’s to come and will always have a special spot in my heart for this team.”
With five straight titles behind them and a new generation of swimmers rising through the ranks, the Meeker Marlins are proving that their success is no fluke.
As Rogers put it, “We’re not done yet.”
