There are three middle schoolers on the Apple Valley High School Swim and Dive Team. They say the practices can run up to three hours and can be a lot for the swimmers, but the work pays off.

Two of the three middle schoolers, Sydney Banks and Alison Groeller, are in eighth grade. Alison is a diver, who joined swim and dive because she wanted to try a new sport and do something new. She wishes she could be a swimmer and diver, but can’t swim because of her asthma. She had never dove off a diving board before she joined the team, but now she feels right at home. Sydney’s favorite stroke is freestyle, but her best is butterfly. The last middle schooler, Lily Vine, is in seventh grade. Her favorite stroke is breaststroke and her best is butterfly.

Before every practice, there is a dry land or a workout. The dry land lasts about fifteen minutes. Alison says dry land is okay because it’s good for muscle and abs. To get to state or sections you need a one hundred and forty diving score, Alison averages seventy to eighty.

Sydney joined AVHS Swim and Dive team because both of her brothers were on the boys high school team. She went to one of the coaches summer swimming camps and he asked Sydney if she wanted to do it. During meets she thinks that it is great when people are cheering each other on and wishes they could do it more often. Sydney feels that she is closest to Abby Ackerman, one of the seniors. She likes all the coaches and thinks they are super supportive of the team and they do a great job coaching. She also likes dry land, on-land training, but she thinks it’s really hard. She says it gives you muscles and makes you stronger, and faster when swimming.

For an eighth grader, Sydney is pretty good, but she thinks she could be doing better. She says she might make it to sections, but not state. Sydney says she definitely is better than she was last year.

Sydney’s top swim is 1:07.34 seconds in her 100 yard freestyle.  Alison’s highest score for diving is 84.15 and her lowest score is 61.95.

Consider joining the AVHS Swim and Dive Team if you would like to be a swimmer or a diver for Apple Valley High School. Joining the team would be a perfect opportunity.