Knights' Swimmers Enter State AA Meet Pool with High Hopes

It's already been a season of exceeding expectations for the St. Michael-Albertville Knights girls' swimming program. 

St. Michael-Albertville was expected to dominated the Mississippi 8 Conference once again, and they did, rolling to a third straight conference championship, and their second straight uncontested. 

But it was in the big meets where the blue and gold came up huge. STMA pulled off its first surprise in the True Team Section 8AA meet, where it knocked off Maple Grove en route to the championship. 

It would pull off the double last weekend, taking the MSHSL 8AA Section Meet by more than 70 points, again over Maple Grove. 

"It's coming together at the right time. We have a lot of experienced swimmers that are back this year doing well, and we have a few girls that have been waiting for their chance to contribute who have really stepped in and done a tremendous job. So it's a team effort, and they're coming up big in meets. They're not backing down," said head coach Tom Guillou of his girls. 

The success is huge for a program that's just in its fourth full year in AA competition. Competing with the "big schools" means you need deep, strong teams, coaches say. Guillou has that thanks to a roster of more than 45 swimmers and divers and a program that continues to grow in popularity. 

"Really, our girls are always our best recruiters. When they tell other kids how much fun it is, it gets our middle schoolers excited to get in and work and have fun. And when they experience the success and the team effort, it's even better," Guillou said. 

Senior Kasey Roberts is the unquestioned team leader in the pool. She will attempt to defend her state championship in the 200 IM this weekend, and also improve on her silver medal finish in the breast stroke. She also kicks in on relay teams, which was a key to the Knights coming up in first place in the section competition. 

Her co-captain is diver Jessie Metz, who leads the Knights in the diving pool. Metz just missed out on being an 'all state' selection last season when she finished just outside of the top 8 divers. This year, she's second in her section but among the top five or six Class AA divers in the state according to qualifying score and will have a good chance to earn that 'all state' designation and an MSHSL medal. 

"I think both of them are girls who our younger girls can look up to and do look up to because of the way they are both in and out of the pool," Guillou said. "They put in the work. They've worked hard in the offseason and in the summer programs. And then they are grew at team building during the season as well." 
 
The 200 IM medley relay team willlook to get on the medal stand with Roberts, Emma Lezer, Lexi Heil and Maddie Gallagher. The 200 free relay, which took first in the section, features the same core of Galagher, Heil and Kasey Roberts with young Carly Roberts also in the mix. 

Emma Lezer, Taylor Peterson and Carly Roberts will join Metz and Kasey Roberts in individual competition as well.