Northfield freestyler Lundstrom pretty fair on land, too

Senior Emily Lundstrom helped Northfield's girls' swimming team to the Class 1A state championship in 2012.

Lundstrom isn't just one of the state's top swimming freestylers. She is also an active 4-H member and an ambassador for Dakota County. She plays piano and is a member of Northfield's national weightlifting team.

She recently showed sheep and swine at the Dakota County Fair, and plans on showing her sheep again at this year's state fair.

Here is a closer look at Lundstrom, who was a member of the Raiders' state championship 200-yard freestyle relay team:

Three words or phrases my friends or teammates might use to describe me? Outgoing; focused (when it comes to practices and meets); friendly.

Three songs I never skip on my iPod are ... "Glad You Came" (The Punk Goes Pop Remix Version) by We Came As Romans; "Get Lucky" by DJ Trademark; "American Girl" by Bonnie McKee.

At my first varsity practice, I felt ... pretty cool. I was swimming with all the older kids. Not many seventh-graders could say they were besties with seniors.

What is your favorite meal prior to an event? Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.

To get focused for an event, I ... listen to my pump-up music, slow my breathing down, visualize what my "perfect" race would look like, warm up my legs and arms, and just think about what I want to focus on in the race. I try my best to ignore everyone else next to me, until I enter the water. Then I use them for extra motivation to go faster.

What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete? Probably winning the state meet last year, even though I had mononucleosis. It was so exciting to see everyone preform so well, and to watch us go from underdogs to champions.

How do you balance school and sports during the year? It's hard to do, since we put in time before school and after school. I seem to manage, I just don't have much time to hang out with friends during the season. That's OK because I am with my team family every day, so I'm not being completely anti-social.

If you could change one thing about high school sports, what would it be? They would go for a longer amount of time. Swimming on the team with the girls is the highlight of every year, and the fact that it only lasts a couple of months is sad.

What is the best sports advice you ever received? If someone tells you that you can't do something, then prove them wrong or "Start unknown, finish unforgettable."