SHAKOPEE, Minn. — The Shakopee Sabers girls swimming and diving team is in an incredibly tough conference, competing against powerhouses like Prior Lake, Eagan and Lakeville North and South.
Still, they came out on top as conference champions for the first time in 37 years.
“It was an amazing achievement for all of us,” said Arianna Zelen, one of the team’s four senior captains.
The team spends almost 20 hours a week practicing and competing together, creating a great bond, something they credit to their success.
“It’s just been a fun ride to see how much this team has grown over the years,” said Abby Beckman, a senior captain.
Another part of their successful recipe is the physicality of the team.
“We lift three times a week in the morning,” said Olivia Wimberger, a senior captain.
“You can see physically how much stronger they have become, and the pool results show that,” head coach Jenny Carlson said.
The final ingredient to their success this season is their sportsmanship, which Carlson believes developed long before this team was winning.
“The first year I coached, we hadn’t had a single swim meet in 10 years, and I kind of approached him [the team] saying, ‘Listen, we’re not going to be known as the fastest at our conference, but let’s be known as the nicest, the friendliest, the most fun to swim against,’ and they really took on that challenge and as we’ve continued to build success, they’ve stuck with that,” Carlson said.
Carlson’s mother, Kathy, started the Shakopee swimming and diving program in 1979, and she coached the team the last time they won the conference in 1987. Now her daughter is helping to continue her mother’s legacy by to put together a team that is as close as family, and the captains hope that their leadership leaves a mark of its own.
“I hope that all the younger girls really look up to what we’ve done this year, especially how we lead them, and try to strive for the same or even more, even better,” said Elizabeth Leisure, a senior captain.
