“(It was) my first year after sections,” recalled Schmidt, now a senior diver on the Bemidji High School’s women’s swim and dive team. “I had finished fifth and was just on the verge of qualifying for the state tournament.
“I had become much more passionate about it, and I had this motivation and drive to want to be better, improve and improve. I wanted to take it to the next level and get as far as possible. “
Now one of the best divers in Northland, Schmidt has proven he is capable of reaching the next level. And on Wednesday he signed his national letter of intent to participate in a Division I program at the University of South Dakota.
“When I visited South Dakota, I spent some time with the team and saw what the whole program was about,” said Schmidt. “I felt like I fit in well. My relationship with the coach was so natural. This is a big reason I chose South Dakota. “
Ever since the disappointment of his freshman season, Schmidt has made great strides on the trampoline.
She ranked fourth in the sections as a sophomore in 2019, taking last place in the state and eventually taking ninth place in the A class match. She made the biggest leap last year as a junior, finishing first. in all 11 matches during the season. This included the Section 8A meeting, where he claimed the diving crown with a score of 410.85. The total put her in third place among all Class A divers, even though she was unable to compete in the state due to the pandemic.
“My coach has spent a lot of time working on technique, especially board work,” said Schmidt of his diving improvements. “It’s an important part of diving. Yes, getting the dive is one thing, but getting the proper mechanics to actually perform that dive helps make it that much better. “
Schmidt will become the first member of the BHS swim and dive program to dive collegially since Jana Hedstrom did it for Concordia Moorhead and Minnesota State Moorhead from 2012-16.
Schmidt still has the grand finale of his senior year imminent, but now he can focus solely on the pool rather than the recruiting process.
He has had his choices narrowed down to three schools: South Dakota, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Nebraska Omaha, finally making up his mind in the past few weeks.
“It was really difficult to compare them because each one had such a different campus, such a different atmosphere. They were all unique in their own way, “said Schmidt.” … It was a really great process and I loved being a part of it. “
The Coyotes have won, and now they have an athlete who dives headlong once his time as a lumberjack comes to an end.
“I have cultivated such a passion for (diving) and I love going into the pool every day,” said Schmidt. “I love being in the water and I love jumping off a trampoline every day.”
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