Nicholas White is no stranger to sports. The 10-year-old member of the Aberdeen Swim Club uses a variety of activities to help him when he’s in the pool like he was on Sunday during the annual High Point Meet at the Aberdeen Aquatic Center.

In addition to swimming, White competes in soccer, wrestling, tennis and baseball. He said that each one contributes to his ability to compete in the pool.

“Soccer helps me with my legs, wrestling helps with my upper body strength,” White said, “tennis just works on your hand-eye coordination. … (Baseball) you have to be smart to run to the base or to stay.”

So which sport is his favorite? It’s baseball.

“I like hitting the ball and it flying in the air, and you’re just watching it,” White said.

White also enjoys swimming and has a favorite event in that.

“Probably the freestyle,” White said. “I like the long ones, because it works more on my endurance.”

White said his goal for the upcoming summer is to get more state qualifying times.

When asked if he had ever competed in a state meet before, White responded, “I haven’t, but I qualified.”

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Scarlett Almjeld is only 9-years-old, but she already has major experience in overcoming injuries.

“I had two surgeries on the exact same knee,” Almjeld said.

The initial surgery was required after Almjeld fell on concrete four years ago.

“For my first one, I dislocated my knee when I fell,” she said.

If that wasn’t enough of a challenge for the youth, she soon would need a second procedure.

“They didn’t do the first surgery right,” Almjeld said, “so when I bent it all the way it could bend, one side went over and popped up.”

Almjeld worked her way through rehabilitation and is back competing in swimming.

One of her events on Sunday was the backstroke, which features swimmers going through the pool backwards.

When asked if it was difficult to swim like that, Almjeld responded, “Yeah, kind of because you can’t go on your stomach, and you aren’t allowed to dunk your head under water.”

Not only that, but it can be tough knowing exactly where you are at in the pool.

“The lane lines kind of help because you bump into them and the flags mark that you’re a little closer to the walls,” Almjeld said, “so when you stroke you count down and when you get to a certain one, you keep that arm up and just keep kicking until you touch the wall.”

Almjeld does have a favorite event.

“Probably freestyle,” she said, “because there aren’t many rules to it.”

LENDING A HELPING HAND

A pair of former Aberdeen Swim Club members were back in town this past weekend to help with the High Point Meet. Both Zoey Mann and Paige Haugen have fond memories of their days with the Stingrays and try to get back to help with the big meet whenever they can.

“This is the team I grew up with. They are like family here,” said Haugen who was a member of the team from 2007 to 2019. “This meet is always something I think about at this time, just because it was something I did for 12 years. It is a part of my life.”

Mann also fondly recalls her time with the Stingrays.

“I remember a lot of hard work, a lot of really hot days, a lot of heavy breathing and feeling like I was going to pass out,” Mann said, “but just so much fun.”

Mann, who lives in Rochester, Minn., said her time with the Aberdeen Swim Club taught her many things that have benefitted her throughout her life.

“It taught me so many things. It taught me the value of hard work, it taught me time management skills, of course being a swimmer means that you’re up before the sun is up and you are working hard,” Mann said. “Time is precious and so you have to make every second count.”

Haugen, who lives in Minneapolis, said the High Point Meet brings back a lot of memories, but also shows how time has changed through the years.

“It feels the same and different. I keep expecting to see swimmers that I swam with that have long since graduated that aren’t here anymore,” Haugen said, “and I see kids here that I actually taught how to swim when they were like 3 to 5 years old. They’re now swimming 400s. I still remember when they could barely swim 5 meters, so that’s crazy to see now.”

Mann wanted to give a big shout out to all of the volunteers to help make the meet possible. She understands that they did it when she was competing and now she would like to return the favor.

“They did it for me,” Mann said, “so it’s great to be able to come back and give back to the future generation.”

While Haugen was cheering on her sister during the meet, she was also pulling for the other swimmers as well, no matter which team they were competing for.

“I will cheer on every single kid that comes through my lane, whether they’re from Aberdeen or not,” Haugen said. “Everyone deserves a good boost before they start swimming.”

Not only that, but Haugen was trying to recreate a bit of ASC tradition by drawing figures on the backs of the swimmers, something she used to do during her days with the Stingrays

“It kind of lost steam after I left. There was like a big gap,” Haugen said. “I started doing it last year when I came back, just because that was something I loved to do on people.”

FROM SKATING TO SWIMMING

Webster’s Keisha Rencountre has an interesting background when it comes to sports.

The 9-year-old swimmer not only competes in baseball, soccer, and basketball, she also does ice skating.

“When I was little my mom wanted me to try it out,” Rencountre said of ice skating, “so I did it and I liked it.”

Rencountre will be following the upcoming Summer Olympics and said she can learn about form and technique from watching the elite swimmers.

Will she be watching this week’s U.S. Olympic Trials?

“Yeah, if I’m not busy with baseball,” Rencountre said.

Rencountre was in races that featured a mixture of boys and girls, and competitors much older than her on Sunday.

“In my 100 free there were some 12-year-olds,” Rencountre said.

She said she tried to beat the boys, but also kept things in perspective.

“It’s fine,” Rencountre said. “I just push myself to get faster.”

Rencountre has a goal in mind for the upcoming summer season.

“I’m trying to make it to state out in Rapid City. I need like seven more times,” Rencountre said. “I think I have plenty of swim meets left to get that.”

SENDING A LATIN MESSAGE

Swimmers often have a variety of schedules, pictures or sayings written on them as they compete in meets, but there was one on Sunday that required a bit of thinking.

The message on Levi Leslie’s back read: Vini, vidi, vici. The 12-year-old member of the Aberdeen Swim Club said, “It’s Latin. It’s Vini, vidi, vici. I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Leslie said he learned the saying during his Roman History class.

“I was just trying to think of something that I could have on my back,” Leslie said.

Leslie competes in other sports as well, but likes swimming for one particular reason.

“I don’t really get sweaty as much,” he said.

Leslie said that the backstroke and the breaststroke are his favorite strokes.

“They’re just easier,” Leslie said, “and I’m faster at them.”

When asked about what his next message will be at future meets, Leslie responded, “I’m not sure. I’ll have to think.”