Heritage swim coach Tom Byorick and athlete Shelly Patton have an eight-year history that reached a pinnacle at the Class 5A state swim and dive championships this year.

Byorick first coached Patton with the Aces Swim Club and presently coached the student athlete with the Eagles. He was responsible for teaching Patton the mechanics of the four strokes, and she has worked on them ever since.

At the Continental A-League championship meet Feb. 7 at Heritage High School in Littleton, their work came together. The training and work Patton did all season on the underwater legs of the backstroke resulted in a victory in the 100 backstroke. She set league and pool records with an All-American time of 56.23 seconds.

Patton also took first in the 100 freestyle, again setting pool and school records with 52.93, just edging out Julie Widmann who took second at 53.63.

Patton reproduced the result the following week in the finals of the 5A state meet, taking second place in the 100 back stroke in 56.05, second to Bonnie Brandon of Cherry Creek’s record-smashing swim. In the 100 free at state, Widmann finished sixth with 52.76, breaking the school record Patton had set the previous week.

Patton and Widmann, along with Karie Eitel and Andrea Slouka finished strong in the 400-yard free relay, finishing fourth in the state with an All-American time of 3:33.46.