Shakopee girls' swim and dive team wins their conference for the first time in 37 years
SHAKOPEE, Minn. — The Shakopee Sabers girls' swim and dive team is in an incredibly tough conference, competing against powerhouses like Prior Lake, Eagan and Lakeville North and South.
Yet, for the first time in 37 years, they came out on top as the conference champions.
"It was a crazy accomplishment for all of us," Arianna Zelen, one of the four senior captains on the team, said.
The team spends nearly 20 hours a week together practicing and competing, which creates a large bond, something they credit to their success.
"It's just been such a fun ride seeing how much this team has grown throughout the years," Abby Beckman, a senior captain, said.
Another part of their successful recipe is the team's physicality.
"We lift three times a week in the mornings," Olivia Wimberger, a senior captain, said.
"You can physically see how much stronger they've gotten, and the results in the pool show it as well," Jenny Carlson, head coach, said.
The final ingredient to their success this season is their sportsmanship, which Carlson says developed long before this team was winning.
"The first year I was coaching, we had not one a single swim meet in a decade, and I kind of approached [the team] saying, 'Listen, we're not known as the fastest in our conference, but let's be known as the nicest, the friendliest, the most fun to swim against,' and they really rose to that challenge and as we've continued to build success, they've held onto that," Carlson said.
Carlson's mom, Kathy, started the Shakopee swim and diving program back in 1979, and she was coaching the team the last time they won the conference in 1987. Now, her daughter is helping carry on her mom's legacy by creating a team as close as family, and the captains are hoping their leadership leaves their own kind of imprint.
"I hope all the younger girls really look up to what we did this year, especially how us 4 lead them, and try to strive for that same thing or even more, even better," Elizabeth Leisure, a senior captain, said.