Bartlesville Splash Club member Amelia Durrell holds her medals from the IMX Challenge held in Topeka, Kansas, Oct. 3-4.
STEPHANIE J LIEF/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
Bartlesville Splash Club member Keaston Meek holds his medals from the IMX Challenge held in Topeka, Kansas, Oct. 3-4.
STEPHANIE J LIEF/Bartlesville Area Sports Report
By Stephanie J Lief
Oct. 12, 2026
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Homecoming and a hyped-up Splash Club team started out the month of October as they begin their competitive short course schedule.
While the high school-aged swimmers enjoyed Bruin homecoming festivities, 22 Splash Club athletes traveled north to Topeka, Kan., on October 3 and 4 for the IMX Challenge, and came back with some accolades and refreshed hunger for the new competition season.
According to USA Swimming, the IMX Challenge (Individual Medley Xtreme) is designed to encourage swimmers to compete in a variety of events across all four strokes and the individual medley, rather than specializing in a single stroke or distance.
It promotes well-rounded skill development, endurance, and long-term success in swimming while allowing swimmers to compare their performance nationally, regionally, and within their club.
Head coach Chad Englehart explains, "The IMX Challenge embodies Splash Club's vision of 'challenging tomorrow's leaders and building lifelong champions.' Its emphasis on versatility across all four strokes encourages athletes to push beyond their comfort zones, building the endurance, perseverance, and mental toughness that led to success both in and out of the pool."
IMX scoring, similar to decathlon scoring in track, determines the best all-around swimmers in the meet. In a field of 238 swimmers, two top honors came to 10-year-old Amelia Durrell and 11-year-old Keaston Meek, who were awarded champions in their respective age groups. Emmett Moore also podiumed as runner-up for 9-year-old boys.
Splash Club will be preparing for two upcoming short course meets, with the Jenks Invite in Jenks on Oct. 23-25, and the Splash Club-hosted 10-and-Under Invite on Oct. 31 here in Bartlesville.