Maroons Keep Momentum Rolling at January Splash

Butte Central swimmers continued to build momentum Saturday, January 10, at the 2026 Butte High School January Splash held at the Butte Family YMCA, showing steady improvement across nearly every race and proving that the young Maroon squad is moving fast in the right direction.

The meet brought together teams from across the state and gave Butte Central a chance to test itself against deeper programs in a fast, competitive environment. For the Maroons, it was another step in a season focused on fundamentals, consistency, and confidence in the water.

Freshman Shamus Peck delivered one of the strongest performances of the day for Butte Central. He placed 15th in the Boys 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 26.66 and followed that with a 10th-place finish in the Boys 100 Yard Butterfly at 1:08.03. Peck’s speed and improving technique have made him a key contributor for the Maroons, especially in sprint and fly events.

Junior Conan Holmes continued his upward trend as well, competing in both the 50 and 100 freestyle. Holmes finished 38th in the 50 Free and 28th in the 100 Free. While those placements do not tell the whole story, coaches say his improvement from last season has been dramatic, and his consistency off the blocks and through his turns has taken a big leap forward.

Freshman Connor Hardy gave Butte Central a strong showing in the backstroke and breaststroke events. Hardy finished 9th in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:07.25, placing him solidly in the upper half of the field. He also competed in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, where he placed 15th. His versatility across strokes has made him one of the team’s most reliable scorers.

On the girls side, junior Morgan Hardy led the Maroons in individual events, placing 11th in the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle and 12th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Hardy continues to anchor the girls team with steady performances and improving endurance.

Freshman Tia Thompson had one of her best meets of the season, placing 7th in the Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:28.29. Thompson also swam in the 50 Yard Freestyle, gaining valuable experience in the sprint events.

Sophomore Arwen Regester continued her development in both freestyle and breaststroke, finishing 26th in the 100 Freestyle and 15th in the 100 Breaststroke. Coaches have noted that Regester’s confidence in the water has grown significantly since last season.

Junior Alex Morey, a late-season addition to the roster, competed in her first meet of the year, swimming both the 50 and 100 freestyle. Getting race experience under her belt this early has been a big step forward as she builds back into competitive form.

Butte Central also entered relay teams, with the Girls 200 Freestyle Relay placing 13th and the Girls 400 Freestyle Relay placing 10th, showing improved coordination and stronger finishes as the season progresses.

Head coach Mariya Peck said the growth she is seeing from the team is exactly what she hoped for.

“It’s very exciting to see how well the kids are doing,” Peck said. “They’re not getting disqualifications, they’re making their starts and stops, and they’re no longer finishing in last place. They’re succeeding at higher levels.”

Peck also singled out Conan Holmes and Arwen Regester as swimmers who have made especially big strides this year.

“They’ve both come a long way since last season and are doing a really good job in the pool,” she said.

Assistant coach Amanda “Mandi” Tippett has been leading the team’s dryland workouts, helping build strength and conditioning outside the pool, while coach Ceanna Bertram has been focusing on starts and turns.

“Coach Ceanna has really been working with the kids on their starts and turns, and she sees a lot of potential in this group,” Peck said.

With new swimmers joining, returning athletes finding their rhythm, and fundamentals coming together, the Butte Central swim program continues to move forward.

The Maroons will be back in action next Saturday in Great Falls at noon, where they will compete alongside Butte High in another important mid-season meet.

A lot of exciting things are happening for this growing team, and Saturday’s meet at the YMCA was another clear sign that Butte Central is building something strong in the pool.