Sabers Girls’ Swim and Dive Team Looking to Feed Off 2024 Success: 2025 Team Preview
By Bill Schleper
Coaching in her 8th season for her alma mater, Shakopee Saber Girls’ Swim and Dive Head Coach, Jenny Carlson has seen success throughout her career in the swimming pool. As a Shakopee alumnus, Carlson was fortunate enough to be coached by one of the all-time greats in Shakopee’s storied coaching history; Her own mother - Kathy Carlson - who was the first head coach for the new girls’ swim and dive team when it was started back in 1979. Kathy Carlson coached for 32 years for the Shakopee Swim and Dive Team, and turned Shakopee into a perennial state powerhouse for many years. Ultimately, and fittingly, Shakopee’s aquatic center - located on the south side of West Middle School (formerly Shakopee Senior High School) - was recently named in Kathy's honor: The Kathy Carlson Aquatic Center. Jenny Carlson is obviously very proud of her mother’s accomplishments, and is very proud to be filling those big shoes. She’s been giving her former high school team a sense of confidence and stability over the past 7 seasons. Prior to Jenny coming on board, the Saber program went through a bit of a drop after Kathy retired, as the Sabers went through coaches like a revolving door for a couple of years. The talent and stability of the team basically "belly-floppe from the high dive" for several years before Jenny jumped in with both feet - so to speak!
Part of the success that Jenny Carlson has had over the past 7(+) years of coaching the Saber program is obviously from experiencing and mimicking the uncanny coaching skills of her mother. But some of it comes from her own determination and success in the swimming pool. She is successful because she’s been there and experienced what high school girls go through when competing at a high level in the pool. Case in point; Jenny Carlson was not only Shakopee’s very first State Champion for Shakopee High School back in 1992 as a competitive swimmer, she was also an All-American swimmer (top 100 in the country), who competed nationally. She turned her talents to helping others learn to compete 18 years ago, coaching for the Barracuda's Aquatic Club. Now in her 8th season with the Sabers, she coaches bothgirls and boys; Head Coach for the girls’ team, and as an assistant coach on the boys’ team.
Last season (2024), the Sabers' team earned their first conference championship title since 1987, and finished 3rd in the state tournament. “We’ve graduated some big talent (referring in part to State Champion and All-American, Ari Zelen), but we also have a young and strong team this season, and we’re hoping to land back at the top of the conference standings!”, says the ever-optimistic Coach Carlson. With that confident tone, Carlson continues, “We’re hoping to place in the top 5 at state, and we’ve got a couple girls again this year with state champion potential!”.
Keep an eye on Lexi Tippie and Miranda Francois for starters. Tippie finished 2nd in the 200 free at state last year and Francois finished 3rd in the 100 breast.Along with Tippie and Francois, Genessa Sentyrz, Grace Krautkremer, and Maddy Hanson will all be back this season. All 5 of these girls competed at State last year and contributed to the team’s 3rd place finish, with Sentyrz placing in the top 16 in both of her events, while also on the Sabers’ 400 Freestyle All-American relay team with Tippie and Hanson. Carlson adds, “Lexi, Grace and Maddy all swam as part of the All-American 200 Freestyle relay”. A highly exciting and record-setting season for the Sabers, to say the least!
In addition to the five girls mentioned, the Sabers have some additional big talent coming back in some of their varsity athletes: Haylee Quern, Karlie Schumacher, Gabriella Morris, Josie Burfeind, Alayna Brinkman are just a few of girls who will be relied upon to score many of those additional points. “We’re also excited to see Morgan Peterson, Tessa Laughlin, Jillian Stenzel, Lily Ryba, andKaylee Thiesen back this season – they finished very strong at the end of last season and have been working hard off season, ever since!”, states Carlson. “I’d love to list each and every girl on this team to highlight! Our JV team is very strong also….and many of the girls are earning their way into varsity events each year! Almost the entire team trains year-round - so they come back faster and faster each fall!”
As head coach for the Saber Girls’ team, Carlson has assembled a team of coaches that she hopes will continue the team’s success in the pool. Alex Kraft, Kimberly Thiesen, and Amelie Girard will be looked upon to help coach this year’s swim team back to the state tournament.
The Sabers also have a new diving coach this season - Megan Renner. Renner is Shakopee Alumni who has been coaching diving for the boys team for many years - so even though she’s new to the girls' side, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the dive team. Megan will also have an assistant coach helping her this season – as the Sabers welcome back 2024 grad, Ellie Leisure, who will be a nice addition as a part-time coach. As for the team, Lizzy Ramsey returns for her senior year on the diving side and will be looked to provide leadership for on the team. Ila Tabke and Aubrey Cox will also be returning to the dive team this season, and help mentor a couple of new divers that have backgrounds in both diving and gymnastics - which is a great combination to have as a diver - so it should be exciting to see how these girls do! Along with knowledgeable new coaches, the combination of divers with experience and youth, along with a gymnastics touch, could prove to be a great addition to help propel the Sabers Dive Team to that next level.
The Sabers will have four captains this season: Maddy Hanson, Morgan Peterson, Haylee Quern, and Alayna Brinkman - all of whom will be looked upon to provide leadership and guidance to their teammates, and shun any “girl drama” away, as true leaders do.
2025 looks like a recipe for success for the Sabers Girls’ Swim and Dive Team, with the season beginning with a home meet at6:00p.m., Wednesday, August 27th, Vs. the Cougars from Lakeville South at Kathy Carlson Aquatic Center - located on the south side of Shakopee’s West Middle School: 200 Tenth Avenue East in Shakopee.
Ticket Information: https://www.shakopeesabers.com/tickets
