For American Fork senior Audra Yocom, the Saturday portion of the Region 4 swim meet went down as a final, grand performance before a home crowd at the American Fork Recreation Center.

That was particularly true in two events: the girls 100-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay.

In the final heat of the 100-yard freestyle, she was pitted against some of the region’s top freestyle racers like Lone Peak’s Taryn Toolson and American Fork’s Alliesha O’Neal.

A roar of the starting horn sent Yocom and the heat’s seven other contestants plunging into the water. During that, Yocom recalled, “I wanted to get a time lower than 57 seconds. That was my time at State last year.”

But as she pursued that goal, she received a strong challenge from Toolson, who stayed alongside her for much of that the race. In the last lap of the heat, Yocom inched ahead of Toolson. The American Fork senior won the race in a time of 56.72, one second in front of Toolson.

“She played a key role in our girls winning the 400-yard freestyle relay,” said American Fork coach Kathy King.

Yocom was the No. 2 swimmer on the 400-yard freestyle relay team. The other members of the squad included O’Neal, Chanel Noot and Candice Smith.

King said, “They were up against a very experienced Lone Peak team.”

Yocom’s team had faced them so many times that American Fork knew exactly what to do against Lone Peak. In the region championship race, American Fork took first, defeating Lone Peak by 12 seconds.

“It was great to see both our girls and boys win in the 400 freestyle relays,” King said. Her sons McKay and Mike joined Kyle Smith and Matt Okelberry in winning the 400-yard freestyle in a time of 3:26.

Yocom smiled as she watched those boys receive their medals.

In having swum competively since age six, Yocom has had much experience in being a member of a championship relay team. Three years ago, she was one of the members of the American Fork team that took the 2004 state 4A girls title. Audra’s sister, Sandra, was on that same team.

“She was really good,” Audra Yocom said. “She was really good to keep everything in perspective, knowing she had to keep improving. I try to be like her.”

Don’t expect Audra always to compete in the same events that her big sister did. The senior said, “She did the backstroke. I do the 50 and 100 free.”

In reflecting on American Fork’s taking state in 2004, she said, “There were only six of us on that team. The girls on that team were really good, though, to be able to do something that great against teams that each had 20-30 kids.”

The coach of that state team, Celeste Tiffany said, “Audra is one of those swimmers you want to remember. She’s one of the neatest girls I’ve coached.”

Kathy King said, “This season, Audra’s been working hard on making turns at walls. She nailed it at this meet this time.

“Besides being a great swimmer, she’s also a Sterling Scholar nominee and a member of American Fork’s National Honor Society. She does a lot of work for the community.”

“I’m the president of the American Fork Youth Court,” Yocom said. “As a member of the National Honor Society, I have to do a service project for the community at least once a month.”

She said, “I am more of a mental swimmer. When I get into the water, I just want to focus on cutting down my time as much as possible.”

Yocom said two of her toughest competitors in the freestyle are Toolson and Natalie Edge of Kearns. In the 50-yard freestyle championship race, Toolson beat Yocom for the event’s gold medal by one second.

Outside the pool, she is friends with her opponents, she added. She will be competing against them at State.

“I’m hoping that I’ve gotten my times down low enough for me to be able to be in the final heats of my events at State,” Yocom said.

When she competes at the state meet next week, she will be among a contingent of American Fork swimmers who won seven Region 4 event titles this year and finished second in both divisions of the league meet.

Kathy King said she told Yocom and the American Fork swimmers, “I don’t want you to confuse the battle for the war. You did great at Region, but State is where our focus should be. We should keep our attention on it.”

Yocom can be counted on to do that this week and next.

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