Roberson, who competed in four events, had a time of 47.22 seconds in the finals on Saturday, Feb. 21. The day before, in the preliminaries, he clocked a 47.34, seeding him sixth for the finals.
Roberson also had a top-10 individual finish in the 200 individual medley. His prelims time of 1:59.46 on Friday seeded him 10th for the finals and that’s where he finished with a Saturday clocking of 2:00.73.
This was Roberson’s second consecutive year to compete at state. This season he became the first boy in the program to qualify in four events.
His performance anchored the highest team finish ever for an Aledo team at the 5A state meet.
“I’m really proud of what this group accomplished. Finishing 14th as a team is the highest we’ve placed in our 5A era, and that’s a big step forward for our program,” coach Meghan Roberson said. “It shows the depth we’re building and the consistency the boys have shown all season.”
The top 16 from 24 competitors in the preliminaries advanced to Saturday. The top eight were competing for a state championship, while places 9-16 were competing in the consolation bracket.
Kale Roberson joined fellow juniors Ian Perez and Jaxon Robinson, along with freshman Parker Kaiser on the 200 and 400 free relays, both of which reached Saturday competition. On the second day they each improved their times and places and broke their own school records they had set previously at the regional meet.
The 200 free relay clocked a time of 1:30.23 in Friday’s prelims to sit in 14th place. On Saturday, they improved to ninth to win the consolation finals with a 1:29.07.
The 400 free relay had a time of 3:19.67 to place 13th in the prelims. They improved to 12th in the consolation finals, improving by almost two seconds to a 3:17.86.
“Our relays were a huge highlight. Those weren’t just fast swims, they were hard-fought races,” coach Roberson said. “We actually changed our relay order from the standard protocol and stacked them progressively faster. It gave them a chance to chase people down instead of just holding position.
“They love to come from behind — they compete with a little edge when they can see someone in front of them and go hunt them down. That strategy paid off.”
Also competing in individual events were Julia Gordy for the Ladycats, along with Perez and Kaiser for the Bearcats.
Gordy, a senior making her third consecutive trip to state, finished 22nd in the prelims of the 200 free. She posted a time of 2:05.04.
Kaiser, the first freshman boy from Aledo to ever qualify for state, had a time of 56.35 seconds in the prelims of the 100 backstroke, placing him 23rd.
Perez, a junior and also a returner from last season, advanced to Saturday after placing 13th in the prelims of the 100 butterfly, clocking a 52.76. However, in the consolation finals he was disqualified as he did not lift his head out of the water in time after starting.
“Individually, we had some standout swims. Kale Roberson finishing sixth in the 100 free and 10th in the 200 IM was big. His hard work and consistency are really paying off, and he proved he belongs with the best in the state,” coach Roberson said. “Parker Kaiser qualifying as a freshman and placing 23rd in the 100 back was exciting to see. That’s not an easy stage to step onto for the first time, especially as a ninth-grader.
“And Julia placing 22nd in the 200 free as our only girl at the meet says a lot about her toughness and focus. This was also Julia’s last competitive swim, which is bittersweet. We’re going to miss her leadership so much — on deck, in the water, and even her perfectly curated playlists. She brought a steady confidence to the group that will be hard to replace.
“State is just different,” coach Roberson continued. “The pressure is real. Some of our athletes had been there before on relays, but swimming an individual event brings a whole different weight — you’re walking out there alone. For many of them, it was their first time doing that at this level. And then you add in the atmosphere — even seeing Olympians on deck, swimmers they’ve looked up to for years. It’s inspiring, but it’s also a lot to process.”
The coach addressed that this will be the final year for Aledo at the 5A level and that it’s nice to go out with such a strong performance. She is also confident her team can be a force at a higher level.
“Next year we move up to 6A, and that will absolutely be a new challenge. The field gets deeper. But none of our boys graduate, and the experience they gained under those lights is invaluable,” she said. “They now know what that meet feels like — and more importantly, they know they belong. I really believe we have the depth to compete.”
Brayden DeBoer and Michael Spillers, both juniors, were alternates for the Bearcats this season. This was Spillers’ first season to make the trip, while DeBoer has previously competed.
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