Regional swim meet on tap at ACFAC

Chris Engledow, the coach of the Lewis-Clark Neptunes swim team, sees several advantages to playing host to this weekend's Reindeer Splash, a USA Swimming sanctioned meet at the Asotin County Family Aquatic Center on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

First, there's the economic benefit. While spectators can attend for free - and Engledow encourages anyone to show up, even if they don't have a dog in the fight - nearly 270 of the approximately 300 youth athletes participating will be coming from out of the area.

That will bring, Engledow estimates, as many as a thousand people to the valley this weekend, "a mini (NAIA) World Series," he said, benefiting area hotels and local food establishments.

There's also the benefit to the 34 Lewis-Clark Neptunes who will also be participating in this week's meet. They won't have to pay for gas or travel.

And there's a third benefit to having the meet here, the opportunity to show off the Asotin County Family Aquatic Center's pool.

"We have this beautiful facility and we feel an obligation to use it to its full advantages," Engledow said, noting that the facility is state-of-the-art. "Most colleges don't have a pool as nice as this."

Engledow said the meet, whose swimmers will range in age from 5 to 18, will see teams from around the region - Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, Pendleton, Yakima and Moses Lake, among others.

There will be 80 events in all, with many of the shorter - and perhaps most fan-friendly - races happening from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Some of those swimming in the meet, Engledow said, are top-15 swimmers in their respective age categories nationally. Registration has already closed, so no additional competitors can enter.

"It's a great environment, it's a positive place, it's fun, it's exciting," Engledow said of the meet environment. "And everybody just has fun."