Stillwater synchronized swimming has carried a rich tradition of success. With first-year head coach Kathy Henderson, the Ponies don't intend to change.
Stillwater has won 18 state championships. The Ponies finished second in the team standings at the state meet last year. As evidenced by the team's 3-0 start in figures-only meets, it's business as usual for the Ponies.
"The 3-0 is exactly how we wanted to start the season, and we're hoping to continue that," Henderson said.
Henderson has deep ties to the program. She swam for the Ponies for four years in high school, which included a state championship her senior year. Henderson spent 19 years as an assistant coach for the Ponies from 1993 to 2011.
Taking over the reins has been a blast.
"It's fun to kind of be in charge now," said Henderson, who also swam for the Gophers for three years and coached the University of Minnesota synchro team for six. "Hopefully, we can continue the success that we've had over the years."
Another new face to the Ponies is senior Mariah Smith, who has been nothing short of impressive. She has been competing in club synchronized swimming since she was young, but decided to come out for the high school team this year.
That club experience has provided her strong technique in her figures and her solos. The figures she has to do with the club program are actually more difficult than what she has to do in high school. It shows. She won each of her first three high school figures meets with scores of 64.610, 62.890 and 65.807.
