This year, the Two Harbors Agates Swim and Dive Team didn’t just send one swimmer to state. Four athletes earned spots at the Minnesota State High School League Championships, and the whole team made the trip to cheer them on.
“It’s a lot more helpful for us just to have the full team here,” said senior Bella Imholte. “We can all support each other. Even for those girls who are here but aren’t swimming. I know that they really care about us, and they’re going to be on the sidelines cheering for us. It’s really good to have their support.”
Especially appreciated were the alternates who were warmed up and standing by, ready to jump in if needed: sophomore Ella Abley, senior MJ Horton, and Claire Dreier, who is in 8th grade.
It’s Imholte’s third year down to the state tournament, and when I caught up with the girls on the eve of the big competition, she had spent part of the day showing her teammates the ropes at the Minnesota State High School League’s Swimming and Diving Championship held at Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
“I’m a lot more confident this year,” she said. “I remember the first year I was here, I didn’t know what was going on. I came back last year a lot more confident, still nervous. This year, I’m just feeling really confident, really excited. I kind of feel like a veteran at this point. I’m pretty excited for the meet tomorrow.”
Her teammate Rylee Schmitz, who as an eighth grader is one of the youngest swimmers at the meet, shared in the excitement but also admitted she had a few nerves.
“I’m feeling really excited, but also a little nervous because it’s my first time swimming at the pool,” she said.
Schmitz is part of the 400-free style relay, along with sophomore Brynn von Goertz, junior Lucy Lane, and Imholte. It’s a tight-knit crew, and one she was eager to swim alongside.
“They’re all really, really talented,” she said. “I just always look up to them in the relay, and they always make me feel really good about my times. They always comfort me in any way possible. I just love them so much.”
As if on cue, her relay teammates chimed in from the background with a chorus of “We love Rylee!” The cheer was an affirmation that said it all.
Though she was “only a little bit nervous,” von Goertz also exuded confidence in her team. “I think we’re all going to do really good,” she said.
Also a basketball player, von Goertz missed the beginning of practices because of her trip to state, but she said it was worth it. Her focus now is on helping the relay team perform at its best.
“Swimming is hard because it teaches me to be able to push through hard things. Basketball is hard in its own unique ways, and swimming is hard in all of its own unique ways,” she said.
As the leader of the relay, von Goertz set a personal goal for the meet: improving her time and edging closer to her mom’s record.
“I would love to get 56 seconds. That’s been my goal all year, and I set that before we left for sections,” she said.
Outside of the relay, Lane also earned a spot at state for her performance in sectionals for both the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle.
“I really have found a home in the 500. I’m a lot more calm behind the blocks, and I know what to do where in the 200 you can kind of experiment,” said Lane. “There’s a lot of different strategies that come into play with that one.”
Lane also found a home with the Agates as one of the swimmers from Marshall who joined the co-op.
“It’s been honestly such a blessing because I’ve been swimming in Duluth in the YMCA when I was younger to club when I was older,” she said. “I didn’t have anywhere to go for high school because Marshall didn’t have a team. Then we found out we were having a co-op, and we were super duper excited. We all bonded well, and it was a super easy transition.”
Imholte and Lane have found ways to push each other this season, leading to strong results all year.
“I’d say one of my favorite moments was during our T30, which is where you swim as fast as you can for 30 minutes,” said Lane. “You don’t really know what’s going on because you don’t know how much time you’ve been swimming for. Me and Bella became the third fastest in Two Harbors’ history. I think that’s a really good example of how Bella and I have pushed each other this year. It really shows the work that goes in outside of just the glory at sections. Getting first is awesome, but it really has to do with all the other work that we’ve put in and practice every single day and the diligence and dedication we’ve shown this year as a team.”
It’s been a season full of highlights and personal achievements. For Schmitz, one of the standout moments was earning All-Conference at the IRC tournament.
“That was one of the best moments and most surreal because I did not expect to drop a lot of time,” she said. “Another one was probably also at section finals when we got a really good time in the relay, and we figured out that we were going to make it to state. I was just in shock.”
Another exciting highlight and happy surprise for the team was finishing the season as conference champions, undefeated in dual meets.
“It was kind of emotional being undefeated because I do think that this wasn’t in any of our futures,” said von Goertz. “To be undefeated and just celebrate with everybody, that was definitely a high for me.”
For anyone who doesn’t know Imholte, you might expect a swimmer of her caliber to talk about breaking records or being named Swimmer of the Year for the second year in a row when asked about her favorite experience this year. But when she reflected on her season, her thoughts went straight to her teammates and their successes.
“There’s so many moments, it’s really hard for me to pick,” she said. “I love all the time that we get to spend with each other outside of the pool, like the team sleepovers are so much fun. I love when we get to go to Grand Marais and spend time with our girls up there. So it’s really fun to do that. But I think my top favorite moments have always been just watching everybody grow this entire season. I’ve never been so impressed with my teammates in my whole entire life. I just watched every single person hit a PR here.”
Imholte later added, “It’s just been amazing to see how well everybody’s done at sections and people were dropping time. We had girls making it to state and our relay ended up going. It was crazy. I was crying walking up to the blocks. It’s been the best senior year I could have asked for.”
Imholte’s Swimmer of the Year achievement became even more special when she learned that her coach, Heather Mayfield, had been voted Swim Coach of the Year.
“I started jumping up and down pumping my fists in the air,” Imholte said of hearing the news. “She’s very deserving. I’m so glad it was her.”
Lane agreed, stating, “She’s one of the most deserving people for the award. I don’t think anyone was one bit shocked when we heard that announced over the loudspeakers at the end of the meet.”
Mayfield has been a great influence on Schmitz, helping her grow as a swimmer and reach her goals.
“She’s such a great coach,” Schmitz said. “She pushes me and she is helping me get to where I am. I’m very excited for future years. She makes sure everybody always has the best seasons and she always makes sure the meets are great, especially home meets. They’re so fun to plan and decorate for.”
The coach has also been a great listener for the girls, as von Goertz recalled during 1:1 check-ins throughout the season.
“I can say things that I don’t want to say to other people but I’m confident saying them to Heather and she just always makes sure that we’re always doing well. She’s always so excited for everything that we do in life. She helps make sure I’m always mentally good. I’m just really happy she’s like a person al little therapist and coach and a friend. I’m really happy I could talk to somebody.”
With all the strength and support, it’s easy to see why the team performed so well. At the end of the first day of the competition, Imholte advanced to finals for the 200 freestyle after finishing 5th with a time of 1:54.88. She also moved on in the 100 backstroke, finishing 9th at 59.19.
Lane earned 22nd in the 200 freestyle at 2:03.42 and 19th in the 500 at 5:32.66. The relay team also performed well with a time of 3:52.66, ending their run in 21st place. Pretty incredible finishes by all!
In finals, Imholte continued to impress. The All-State athlete finished 7th in the 200 freestyle and 9th in the 100 backstroke.
“You’ve made us so proud and what an amazing high school career you’ve had. Not only have you inspired your teammates but also so many athletes and coaches in the northland!” posted Mayfield.
Congratulations to Bella, Lucy, Brynn, and Rylee, and to the entire team and coaching staff for the amazing season!
