LucyKalkowski

As the winter season opens, the swim and dive team prepares for a fun and exciting season. Coach Mr. B.J. Christiansen started planning weeks before tryouts. 

“In the offseason, I had to get all of our facilities and scheduling taken care of. I have to work on certifications, meet with the swimmers, coaches, a lot of stuff that doesn’t involve a lot of the X’s and O’s of swimming ahead of time,” Christiansen said.

Tryouts for the team occurred on Nov. 18 and 19, where on the second day the swimmers learned who made the team. Sophomore Maryn Beber started to prepare a month before tryouts.

“Monday we had weight training from 6:45 to 7:30 and tryouts from 4:15 to 6:15 and then on Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:15. [They announced results] on Tuesday right after practice,” Beber said.

Beber enjoyed the tryout  process and found out she made the team for the second time. She now focuses on her goals for this season. “My goal is to get faster in the 100 breaststroke and maybe go under 1:10 and make it to a final in that,” Beber said.

Christiansen also has a goal for his team. “Every season the goal is just to create a fun and engaging environment for the girls. It’s great to win and everything, but that’s not necessarily our top goal. It’s just something that if we work hard and enjoy things then we have the opportunity to do things like winning,” he said.

The team puts in hours as they prepare for championship season. “We practice every day except Sunday and Saturday mornings. And then weights [on] Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” Beber said. 

Their dedication to improving their times does not go unnoticed. “They work really hard. It’s probably one of the sports that has the most time commitment. Not just in season but year round,” Christiansen said. He asks for support and encouragement from the student body as the swimmers and divers head into their busy season.

Christiansen also has high hopes for the success of his swimmers and divers and the attendance at meets. “We have a lot of talent so I think we’ll see a lot of improvement through the year, and there’ll be a lot of exciting meets. Especially our senior night at UNO, it’s Jan. 24. It’s a fun event and we’re going to try to get a ton of people to attend. We’re going to try to push for maybe a record setting crowd at a dual meet. That’ll be fun and something for people to look forward to,” he said.  

At their first competition on Dec. 7, the team won the Burke Invite for the first time in 4 years. They will be in action next at Ram Relays at Ralston High School on Dec. 14.

EDITOR NOTE 12/16/24: The Ram Relays were postponed because of an ice storm on Dec. 13/14. Stay tuned for updates or follow the swim team on X @marianswimdive.