State swimming: Bravette senior eyes fast 'Lane' for finale

There is something McKenzie Lane, a senior swimmer at Flathead High School, is not looking forward to.

“When I’m done with the 500 freestyle,” she said, “I’ll need someone to drag me out of the pool. I know I will be crying.”

Unfortunately for her, the state swim meet today and Saturday will be her grand finale. After that, there will be no more competitive swimming.

“I don’t want it to stop,” she said.

Lane will be competing in her fourth, and last, state meet for the Bravettes. She’s also entered in the 100 butterfly.

 “We have this joke in the family that it was my destiny to swim,” she said.

“My parents have a sailboat and my mom was swimming off the sailboat when she was 10 days overdue (with me) and two hours away from the nearest hospital. I was born the next day.”

Lane claims she has been swimming “my entire life.” 

She began competitive swimming with the local KATS when she was “six, seven or eight, one of those years,” she said.

Lane has competed both days at state (prelims and finals) the past three years.

She set her best time in the 100 butterfly (1:07) at state last year when she improved by four seconds.

This year her best is 1:11.

For the 500 free, her best effort is a 5:47 set when she was “13 or 14” swimming with the KATS.

Her best this year is a 5:56.

Her weekend expectations are “to place ... this is my last year of swimming ... hopefully my best year of swimming competitively. I want to swim really, really well.”

Lane has been one of the Bravettes top performers for 2013-14. She finished third in Missoula in the 500 free and has placed either fourth, fifth and sixth in that event at other meets.

“Some girls are faster than me (in the 100 fly), so my best chance is in the 500 free (19 laps),” she said of what event she’ll place highest in at state.

“I’ve always been a distance swimmer and a sprinter, although I’ve been told you can’t do both. Distance is pretty ... you have a smooth stroke. Sprinting is ugly ... you are flopping your arms around.”

Now that the end is finally near, does she have any regrets?

“That I didn’t work harder the last four years,” she said.

“Get in the pool every day and go, go go.”

Lane said her best friend and swim partner Jenna Kintzler of Glacier reminded her again this week that their swim time was winding down. That brought the following reply: “What are we gonna do with ourselves next week?”

Lane said one of the most difficult things she’s had to embrace this year was the leadership role.

“I’ve always had girls to look up to on the high school team but they all graduated last year,” she said.

“Being one of three senior girls (this year) I realized I was that girl now that I’ve looked up to.”

Flathead coach Dave Lilliard has nothing but high praise Lane.

“I have enjoyed coaching McKenzie Lane, this season especially,” he said.

“She has been one of the hardest workers on the team. She steps up to challenges in practice and races in practice like it’s a meet. She’s a delightful person to coach, too. She smiles often, laughs and keeps the atmosphere light and fun.”

Lane does not know what role swimming will play in her future, but hinted she might try coaching her favorite sport at a later date.