Weeks, months and years of harsh and intense training come down to one 100th of a second. One less breath or a couple more kicks can be the difference between a state champion and the runner-up. A poor entry with a little too much splash can cost points that are vital to the team. These are the things that make the state swimming and diving meet so incredibly exciting.

Stillwater has won state five times in the past 10 years. They have won over 100 dual meets since 2003. This year they got second place in True Team State. Now they are heading into the end of their season and are beginning to prepare for the state meet. They will face the biggest competition they have seen all year. Diving is on Monday, Nov. 18, preliminaries are on Nov. 19 and finals for both swim and dive are on Nov. 20.

The girls spend 14 weeks in training under the guidance of coach Brian Luke. Practices are intense and demanding.

“I trust Mr. Luke to give me the sets that will help me the best,” said senior Kylie Burgess. “I need to just relax and do my best.”

The team is stronger this year than past years. There are several younger girls new to the state team and several girls who have attended for four or five years.

“We have more people likely to make it to state this year so we will have a bigger state team,” said senior Kristin Erf.

The teams to look out for are Edina, Wayzata, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. These teams may have two or three superstar swimmers and divers, while Stillwater has several pretty good members.

“Unlike True Team, the state meet is based on your top swimmers, not your depth. Depth is our strength,” said Luke.

The team does not expect to win state, but they do hope to place in the top three for a trophy. This will take maximum effort from all members of the team.

“A good goal for us would be to do our best,” said Burgess. “We can’t be unhappy with our place if we all do the best that we can do.”

Since the score is based on individual performances, it is not exactly a team sport. However, the girls support one another like teammates should.

“They need to have the mentality of a unit and not as individuals,” explained Luke. “It is a question of what can Stillwater do, not its individuals.”

The team needs to go into the meet with focus and discipline but they also need to stay relaxed. They have done all the work that they can do. They need to give it their all in the end.

“I need to keep my mind on my own race and my own team,” said Burgess. “I just want to have fun since it’s my last year on the team.”

The girls are ready to take on the competition. They are set on achieving their goals and plan to have a good time with their teammates. They have put their hearts and minds into the sport and are rewarded when they represent the Ponies against the best in the state.