MONTROSE – The Montrose Marlins Swim Club hosted its annual Montrose Summer Open July 15-17 at the Montrose Aquatics Center. The event was a qualifier for the Western Slope Championships, as well as upcoming state and regional meets. All swimmers holding a 2011 USA Swimming Membership card were eligible to participate.

The swim meet saw just over 300 swimmers participate in 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15 & over age categories. Western Slope towns represented among the 22 total teams were Aspen, Battlement Mesa, Cortez, Delta, Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, Steamboat Springs, and Telluride. The Montrose Marlins had 88 athletes compete compared the Cortez Leopard Sharks' 17, Delta Barracuda's 17, Ouray Swim Team's 16, and Telluride Torpedoes' 20. Durango had just one swimmer compete in the event.

From the Montrose Summer Open, teams go on to the Western Slope Championships at Mesa State College in Grand Junction this weekend, July 22-24. The State Championships will be held July 29-31 in Denver.

As of July 10, 19 Montrose Marlins had qualified for states. State qualified swimmers in Ouray and Telluride could not be confirmed as of press time.