Synchronized swimming competes in first routine meet

The Royals lost their first routine meet of the season to Wayzata on Tuesday, April 18. The routine meet, which features two teams going head to head in a competition scored by both artistic and technical merit, was an away, conference matchup.

Jordan Ashby, junior, also swam an extended solo and placed second in the solo division. Alyssa Peck and Kristen Ho, juniors, placed third in the duet division, competing with their long duet. The Royals did not have any trio participants, but Ellen Mattson, sophomore, placed third in the solo division.

Though she is consistently a high scorer for the Royals, Ho believes that her most important role on the team is to help out the newer girls.

“It is good for them to have role models on the team to look up to. Helping the coaches teach them the basics is something that all of the people on the team try to take part in,” Ho said.

Four out of the five Royals team competed in exhibition. The only team to compete for points was the Long division team of Lily Provenzano, Elizabeth Coleman, and Ellen Mattson, sophomores, Lily Smith, junior, and Katie Gunderson, senior. The five Royals swam two minutes of their routine entitled “Battle Cry.”

Despite their relative overall success, the team is still not content with their standing, and hopes to improve before the next routine meet, and ultimately the state meet.

“I think we need to improve our presentation and execution and be confident in our swim,” Mattson said.

The Royals take on the Eden Prairie Eagles in another routine meet on Tuesday, May 2 in an away, conference matchup.