2 weeks Ago By ADAM [email protected]
PREP SWIMMING TWIN FALLS — Chaz Attebury saw his friends swim, so he thought, "Why not?" Attebury's decision to swim for the Canyon Ridge High School team as a freshman led to nearly instant success. He just missed out on the state meet as a freshman before placing fourth and medaling in the 100-yard breaststroke as a sophomore. Now, as a junior, Attebury boasts six school records and searches for more, including his first state title.
"My teammates and coaches have been pushing me a lot to the work that we are doing at practice and at meets," Attebury told the Times-News. "I like competing against my friends in meets. It is good competition to get ahead of them and beat them.
" Attebury dipped into the pool before high school with the City of Twin Falls team, the Hurricane Swim League. He also plays water polo, enjoys rock climbing and swims for the Magic Valley Marlins in the offseason, which pits him against some of the Magic Valley's top swimmers. "A lot of guys from other schools swim on that team as well," he said.
"We try and correlate our events to where we are racing against each other." Attebury, a District IV champion as well, will make the jump to 6A along with his Canyon Ridge teams which means the Riverhawks represent the only Magic Valley school in the state's highest classification. "Chaz is a great swimmer," Canyon Ridge head swimming coach Michael Ashby told the Times News.
"I saw a big change from that freshman to sophomore year. He didn't quite make state that freshman year being a new swimmer and all. He had a lot of motivation.
" His 100 breaststroke time of 1:06.11 at the 2023 4A state championships would have finished ninth at the 2023 5A state championships. He also finished fifth in the 200 freestyle relay with Colby Dixon, Isaac Reid and Jaxon Wheeler.
The Riverhawks welcomed numerous eastern Idaho schools to the Canyon Ridge Invite on Saturday which provided the squad with a glimpse at its new competition. Ashby won't just rely on Attebury throughout the season — he will look toward many speedsters including Wheeler, Reid, Eli Reid, Brody Belliston, Logan Gregoire, Paige Raschke, Elle Reid, Isabel Reid and Gracie Bucher, among others. Attebury, though a junior, said he would like to swim collegiately or serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon high school graduation.
"He (Attebury) brings a lot of motivation to the other swimmers as well," Ashby said. "Really good motivation. Friendly competition at practices.
Keeping up with times. Motivation that things can be done." Adam Engel is the sports editor at the Times-News.
He can be reached via phone at 208-735-3288, via [email protected] or via X @AdamEngel9.
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