MOULTRIE – Colquitt County High swim team coach Pierre Rogers says his team will open its 2008-2009 season on Saturday in “polar bear fashion.”

With the Friday night-Saturday morning low temperature forecast to be in the upper 20s and Saturday’s high only 55, the Packers and Lady Packers will compete in the Tift County Blue Devil Invitational at the Tiftarea YMCA’s Stafford Aquatic Center’s outdoor pool.

Fortunately for the expected 220 swimmers representing the 12 teams, the dressing rooms and pool water are heated.

And the start of the meet has been moved from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in hopes of giving the swimmers a chance to hit the water in somewhat warmer temperatures.

Rogers said Colquitt County swimmers have never competed outdoors during the regular season.

Also competing Saturdday, will be Jeff Davis, Heritage, Northside-Warner Robins, Coffee, Tift County, Shaw, Baldwin, Howard, Rutland, Westside-Macon and Central-Macon.

The rest of the Colquitt County schedule – which includes six other meets includes six other meets before the Jan. 31, region championships — will feature indoor venues.

This year’s Colquitt County team has 25 swimmers, including seniors Amy Peek, Christina Rogers, William Cobb, Andrew Green, Malcolm Marks and Chris Phillips.

“We have been receiving great leadership from our seniors at practice so far this season,” Rogers said. “This will be an exciting meet with quite a large number of Packer swimmers that are competing in their first swim meet.”

The girls expected to represent Colquitt County on Saturday are:

• Jennifer Cothern, sophomore, 200-yard medley relay A (freestyle), 100 free, 200 free relay B and 100 backstroke.

• Kara Dobbs, junior, 200 medley relay B (butterfly), 50 free, 100 free 200 free relay A.

• Laci Jarrell, sophomore, 200 medley relay B (free), 50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay C.

• Amy Peek, senior, 200 medley relay A (breaststroke), 200 individual medley, 500 free and 200 free relay B.

• Aubrey Perryman, junior, 200 medley relay C (breast), 50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay C.