Wayzata swimmers aiming for repeat

There must be something in the water.

Last year, Wayzata swept all three aquatic state meets. The Trojan girls' swimming and diving team won the Class 2A state championship in the fall, the boys' won the state title in the winter and the synchronized swim team earned the championship crown in the spring.

The girls' state championship was the first of its kind in Wayzata history.

"Winning state last year was one of the best experiences I've ever had," said Wayzata junior Madison Preiss, who had the Trojans' lone first-place finish at the 2013 state meet. "Going into the season, I would have never assumed we would be state champions."

Elizabeth Hansen, now in her seventh year as Wayzata girls' coach, said the Trojan Trifecta was a result of having supportive parents, good swim clubs in the area and athletes who take the sport seriously and work hard year round. Hansen said roughly 90 percent of her swimmers compete for Wayzata's synchro team as well. She also admitted having a pool of over 3,000 students to pick from is beneficial.

"It doesn't hurt," Hansen said.

Though it took years for the Wayzata girls' to win its first state championship, a second title might be right around the corner. The Trojans are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and looking fairly unbeatable. Wayzata sunk No. 2 Edina and No. 4 Minnetonka already this season. The Trojans also flexed their muscles at the Minnetonka Invitational, scoring 767 points. Minnetonka finished a distant second with 486 points.

Much like last year, Wayzata's strength is its depth. The Trojans lost just two swimmers from last year's state title team. Hansen said her team goes "three or four deep" in every event and "seven or eight deep" in diving.

"We have a handful of studs, but our 'B' and 'C' relays are very fast too," Hansen said.

Wayzata is well-represented in the swimming and diving honor roll. The Trojans have at least one athlete in the top three in every event and claim the top spot in seven.

"Lately, we have all been pretty tired from all the intense training but we know it'll all pay off," Preiss said. "I know I am swimming faster than I did last year."

Preiss looks poised to defend her state championship in the 200 individual medley. She has the fastest reported time in the state with a time of 2 minutes, 6.75 seconds — nearly three full seconds better than the second-fastest time.

Preiss said she wants to post a time under two minutes at some point this season. That'd smash the state meet record, of 2:01.38 held by Champlin Park's Abby Duncan.

"Before I go to bed at night I always find myself imagining my races in my head, but then I get so excited that I can't sleep," Preiss said.

Wayzata got a boost with the addition of Mary Whiting this year. Whiting, a senior, transferred to Wayzata from Providence Academy two years ago, but swam club last year while sitting out because of Minnesota State High School League transfer rules. Whiting has the second-fastest reported time in Class 2A in the 200-yard freestyle.

Hansen said her team's state championship last year was a bit overshadowed by Wayzata's cross-country teams. Both the Trojans boys' and girls' running teams won the state championship last fall, too, and the girls' went on to win a national title at the Nike meet.

However, this year, a second consecutive state championship may open some eyes.