Swim and Dive Succeeds at State
The swim and dive team placed in the top ten with swimmers and divers receiving individual medals as well.
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Junior Olivia Townsend hugs sophomore Kate Conway after the results of the 50 yard freestyle were announced at State prelims Feb 15. in Saint Louis. Townsend swam her personal best time, 24.98′, during prelims which put her in medaling contention heading into the State finals.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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Junior Bridget Schumm tracks junior Peyton Weiwel with her hands as she prepares to dive in the water as soon as Weiwel touches the wall during the 400 yard freestyle relay during the State finals. The relay placed 11th overall at the State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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Junior Bridget Schumm comes up for a breath during the 500 yard freestyle at State prelims in Saint Louis, Missouri, Feb. 15. Swimming a time of 5:42.06, Schumm swam her fastest ever time in the 500 yard freestlye during this race and dropped over seven seconds.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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Juniors Bridget Schumm and Peyton Weiwel and freshman Ava Albracht listen to music while cheering for their teammates during State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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During the 200 yard freestyle relay in State fianls, freshman Grace Townsend comes up for a breath after passing the 25 yard mark. The relay team placed 6th overall and swam their fastest ever time as a team during the State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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Junior Olivia Townsend calms her freshman sister Grace Townsend down before her race during the State prelims Feb. 15 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Grace said she was nervous heading into her first race at State.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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After competing in her last high school race ever, the 400 yard freestyle relay, senior Katie DeLong hugs junior Bridget Schumm. The 400 yard freestyle relay team placed 11th overall in the State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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After swimming her personal best time in the 50 yard freestyle, junior Olivia Townsend placed 8th overall in the State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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During the 400 yard freestyle relay, junior Bridget Schumm comes up for a breath as she finishes up her leg of the relay during the State prelims Feb. 15 in Saint Louis, Missouri. The team’s 11th place finish in prelims earned them a spot in the State finals.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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During the 200 yard freestyle relay during the State finals Feb. 16, junior Olivia Townsend follows her sister, freshman Grace Townsend, in with her hands as she prepares to dive in for her leg of the relay. The relay team placed 6th overall as a team.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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After earning 6th place overall in the 200 yard freestyle relay, sophomore Kate Conway, freshman Grace Townsend, senior Katie DeLong and junior Olivia Townsend receive their medals during State finals Feb. 16 in Saint Louis.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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After swimming their last race together, the 200 yard freestyle relay, junior Olivia Townsend hugs senior Katie DeLong at State finals Feb. 16. The two have been swimming together for the last three years and Townsend said it won’t be the same without her next year.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
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Head coach Kelly Timson jumps up and down as she cheers for junior Bridget Schumm while swimming the 500 yard freestyle during the State prelims Feb. 15 in Saint Louis. Schumm dropped over sever seconds and swam her personal best time of 5:42.06 during the race.
PHOTO | Molly Conway'
The swim and dive team placed 10th overall as a team in the State meet Feb. 16. in Saint Louis, Missouri.
“State was one of my most memorable moments from my past three years on the team, we’ve improved so so much and our hard work definitely paid off,” junior Olivia Townsend said. “I’m so excited for what we are capable of and to improve even more and I am forever grateful that I am a part of the team and get to experience that rush one last time.”
Townsend swam her personal best time, 24.98, in the 50 yard freestyle at State prelims, giving her the 7th place seed heading into the State finals. The 200 yard freestyle relay and Townsend in the 50 yard freestyle were the only races in medal contention heading into the State finals.
“The 50 free is definitely one of the hardest races I’ve ever had to swim on being a part of the team, but it’s also the most exciting because it’s so much adrenaline pumping through you,” Townsend said. “I am definitely proud that I got a 24 because that’s a time I’ve only gotten in a relay rather than individually so it was a big accomplishment.”
The 200 yard freestyle relay with senior Katie DeLong, sophomore Kate Conway, freshman Grace Townsend and Townsend placed 6th overall in the State finals. The team swam a time of 1:42.42, dropping time between prelims and finals and swimming their fastest ever time as a team in the State finals, which was a very exciting and emotional moment, according to Conway.
“It was so exciting to get 6th because when we walked out of the locker room it felt so real when we all walked in in our parkas and they introduced us,” Conway said. “When we got out of the water we were on such an adrenaline high and I was so happy to be sharing that exciting and emotional moment with my teammates.”
Junior Caroline Knopke placed 2nd overall in the State diving competition, bettering her performance from last year which was her goal, according to Knopke. The best part of State was spending time with the team riding on the bus down to Saint Louis all together, according to Knopke.
“It was a great experience that I will never forget and the feeling after hitting all my dives and knowing that I had come in second and it was such an exciting moment,” Knopke said. “State was so much fun all together and having all my teammates cheering me on and spending time with them was such a fun experience.”
Overall the swim and dive team placed 10th overall which was a huge accomplishment, according to head coach Kelly Timson. Last year the team placed 15th as so the team was excited to do better this year and every girl that qualified for State also got to swim again in finals which was amazing, according to Timson.
“I was really proud of how the girls rose to the occasion and used the “big stage” of the State meet to fire themselves up rather than get nervous and psych themselves out,” Timson said. “They were mentally tough all weekend and really nailed their starts, especially the relay exchanges, and turns which we had been working on all week.”