Brainerd High School Girls’ Swim & Dive Looking to Exceed 2022 Success

This year, the Brainerd girls’ swim & dive team is seeking a similar result from last year with an entirely different roster.

“We had 16 seniors all graduate, so I think that’s kind of hard now because we’re kind of younger-heavy on the team,” says Brainerd High School girls’ swim & dive team captain and senior Addison Wirtz. “So, I mean, just trying to teach the girls to be respectful to other people, show leadership, show that everybody needs to be hard working. Everybody plays a part for this team.”

“We had a lot of really good teammates last year,” says team captain and senior Scarlett Anderson. “And just seniors that really made an impact on the team. So it’s been difficult to find people to take events and also just help lead and really feel the numbers and help create the same team we had last year.”

While the squad looks to improve in the water everyday, it’s the work outside of the pool proving to be paramount for the Warriors.

“We’re in the weight room three days a week and again, just trying to build strength and power,” says head coach Daniel Anderson. “Starting to adapt a little bit. The weight room isn’t quite as bad. The core work isn’t quite as bad as it was a couple of weeks ago, and we’re seeing it in the pool. They’re looking better and better, but we have a long ways to go. Our section meet’s not until November, and that’s what we’re training for. And then the state meet.”

The Brainerd ladies picked up right where they left off in 2022, taking their first two meets handily against Bemidji and Fergus Falls. While the Warriors hope to bookend the season at the state tournament once again, their true focus lies in taking things day by day.

“It’s kind of hard to look into the long term and you want to really focus on like doing your best when you hit sections time,” says Scarlett. “[I] just feel like it’s a whole process listening and you really have to just trust it and trust the coaches that you can perform your best actions.”

The Warriors will welcome St. Cloud Apollo to Brainerd on Tuesday, Sept. 12 and visit Willmar High School on the 14th.