Swimming is a sport that has been around since man lived near water (in other words forever). Stone Age drawings depicting early swimmers have been discovered in “The Cave of Swimmers” in Greece; and in Japan, swimming was one of the noble skills of the samurai.

The modern sport of swimming can trace its roots to the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens Greece. Over the years, many advancements have been made to the sport. In 1928, scientists conducted the first scientific study of swimming. They used underwater photography to create a universal technique. Then, in 1935, a technique was created to mimic the way fish swim. This technique transformed into strokes that are still used in swim meets today.

Kayla Pelt, a Battle swimmer, says the sport is “Chaotic, crowded, and it can be uncomfortable if you’re not used to it.”

Pelt placed second and third in the two hundred medley in her first tournament of high school. This isn’t her first time swimming though, Pelt has been swimming for seven years. She started at just eight years old and has no plans of stopping, but doesn’t necessarily want to continue competitively after high school.

“I have three more years of swim before I have to decide if I want to swim in college,” says Pelt.

Abbeh Barrett, a fellow teammate, describes Pelt as extremely dedicated and motivated. She says Pelt is a great teammate and is very supportive, but she doesn’t mess around.

“I like having Kayla on the team because she knows when it’s time to work,” Barrett says.

Maggie Classen, another teammate of Pelt’s was hesitant to join the swim team until Pelt and Barrett recruited her to try out. She expects Pelt to be a great teammate because she is enthusiastic about swimming.

Swim season began October 20th and all three players expect a great season this fall.