Owatonna girls’ Swim and Dive season is coming to an end, as they enter sections this week. This team has a dual meet record of 4-5 and just competed in the Big Nine conference meet. Over the course of the season, this team has grown and improved on shortcomings, led by Head Coach Issiah Fuller in his 14th season and Senior Captains Lainey Steckelberg and Christina Bell, as well as Junior Captains Beverly Deranek and Kate Karsten.
The Huskies saw a fair amount of success at Big Nine. Junior Krin Eickhoff had a time of 2:04.86 and finished eighth in the 200 freestyle. Eighth grader Brynlee Johnson also finished eighth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 27.04. The 200 freestyle relay team would reach sixth place that night as Eickhoff and Johnson, along with Junior Anunda Buttera and Freshman Avery Born achieved a time of 1:48:04. Diving-wise, Karsten came in fourth, and eighth grader Myla Anderson came in tenth.
The Swim and Dive season is quite distinct in one key aspect: the length of the season runs from the beginning of August all the way to the first week of November for varsity. By this time, most fall sports are towards the end of their postseason or have already ended, so having a good mentality throughout the season is fundamental for swimmers’ and divers’ success. Steckelberg had this to say on the mindset it takes to endure and thrive during a long season, ”It’s harder in the beginning of the season because you’re getting into a routine, but once you get into a routine you know what to expect everyday, which is also kinda hard but the people make it worth it I feel like, I also feel having a long season makes you closer with your team.”
Physically, the season can also include its fair share of challenges. Deranek shared this on the importance of proper recovery over the season, “We do a lot both in and out of the pool so it’s very important for us to prioritize sleep, stretching and healthy eating so that our bodies can properly recover.”
This team is pretty young, as the only two seniors on the team are the aforementioned captains, Steckelberg and Bell. A lot of young talent has emerged, helped by the leadership of the upperclassmen. Bell had this to say about what it meant to be a role model for such a young team: “Being a good role model for such a young team is incredibly important, as they are the future of our team. We are teaching them what role to have as they grow up into upper-class men on the team. This creates a great culture for future swimmers on the team.”
Team chemistry is very prevalent within this team. Karsten had this to share about the unique bond of the team: “Our team’s connection is what drives our success. We’re super close, and that helps us stay focused and motivated. When things get tough, we know how to lift each other up and keep pushing.”
Fuller shares how he has seen the team evolve over the years. He says, “I think the work ethic has improved quite a bit, and our numbers have improved a lot over the years. I attribute that to the club here in town. They do a fantastic job, so people are getting involved with swimming at a younger age.
When I first started there were only 25 girls on the team, this year we have 43, and 40 has been a pretty constant [amount] the last 3 to 4 years here, which has been really nice. It really does help out to have those numbers.”
Fuller was asked to define the season in one word, and he chose “Growth.” He adds, “Because we’re a pretty young team, we’ve got some nice veterans that are returning. Another word I could use is leadership, our older girls are really taking the young girls and getting them excited about swimming… they’ve done a nice job fostering that competitiveness and work ethic in them.”
The Huskies will compete at the Rochester Rec Center on Wednesday, November 5th, for prelims and on Friday, November 7th, for section finals.
