Wayzata Girls Swimming and Diving
Welcome 2026 Season
Welcome to all the new swimmers and divers and welcome back to all the returning team members for what holds to be a new and exciting season! The season begins Monday, August 17th and pool practice for the high school team is held at the Lifetime Fitness Center location in Plymouth.
Middle Schoolers wishing to go out for the middle school program should refer to the "Middle School Info" link to the left of this page for all information. Swimmers in 7-8th grade need to be competitive at the Varsity level to make the high school team (see archived results to get a sense of times).
Pool Practice:
For High School JV and Varsity swimmers & all divers, practice will be Mon-Fri 4:00–6:00PM and Sat 8-10:00AM at Lifetime Fitness Plymouth location. There will only be one lake swim for distance & senior swimmers, Saturday August 22nd 6AM at Wayzata Beach.
Strength Training (high school weight room or fitness room):
**Week before school starts (8/24-8/28):
11-12th grade MON/WED/FRI swimmers/divers 1-2PM
7th-10th grade TUES/THURS swimmers/divers 1-2PM
**After school starts: (starting 9/1-Championship Meets on non-meet days):
11-12th grade swimmers/divers MON/WED/FRI 7:15AM-8AM
7th-10th grade swimmers/divers TUES/THURS/FRI OPTIONAL 7:15AM-8AM
Tryouts
Swimmers and divers (7–12) who wish to try out for the high school team will have 3 practices (instructional/conditioning/tryout period) followed by time trials at practice on Thursday, August 20th, where cuts will be made if necessary. The high school swimming team will be limited to 45–50 girls in grades 9–12. If you are planning on being part of the team, attendance is mandatory, and this includes the first week of conditioning & tryouts. The diving team is usually limited to about 10 girls in grades 7-12. Swimmers in 7-8th grade need to be competitive at the Varsity level to make the team (see archived results to get a sense of times). It is also strongly encouraged to take into consideration a swimmer's academic, social & emotional readiness which set the foundation for a positive experience at the high school level across every aspect.
It is the athlete’s responsibility to get to and from practice on time during the month of August. Once school begins, there will be buses that will run from the middle schools and the high school to the practice sites. It will be the athlete’s responsibility to get a ride home after practice.
Websites
Team Website: https://sites.google.com/site/wayzataswimdive/home (To find high school and middle school team information, weekly updates, season schedule, meet results, lettering points, pool directions, etc. go to the Swimming and Diving Website).
Wayzata Athletics Website: https://www.wayzataschools.org/athletics
Lake Conference Schedules: https://gobound.com/mn/schools/wayzata/
Wayzata Athletics on Twitter: Follow Wayzata Athletics scores and results on Twitter @wayzatatrojans
Registration
Online registration for high school athletics is from Wednesday, July 15th to Thursday, August 13th. All registration will be conducted online. Should you have any questions or concerns, you may contact head coach Sara Ridley@wayzataschools.org or athletic secretary Kari Rohrich at kari.rohrich@wayzataschools.org. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm.
Go to the Wayzata High School Website (https://www.wayzataschools.org/athletics/register)
Click on "Athletics" and then click on "Register"
Follow the steps listed on the welcome screen.
You must have a current sports qualifying physical exam on file in the Activities Office. Physical must be dated after 6/15/2024 for the 2026 season. If you complete steps b and c without a current physical on file, you will not be registered.
Click on Eligibility Form in the school store. Fill out and submit the form to the Activities Office once per school year.
Click on the appropriate sport link on the web page and make your payment online (the fee for the 2025 season will be $225.00).
You must be chemical/alcohol free.
You must be committed to the team.
You must be a grade 7–12 student in the Wayzata school district.
Parent Pre-Season Meetings and Team Pictures:
Monday, August 24th at 2:15PM Warm-Ups Distribution: Warm-ups will be issued to athletes on the high school team at the Wayzata High School equipment room E105 (near the athletic entrance).
Wednesday, August 26th at 6:30PM: Pre-season All Parents and Athletes Meeting in Auditorium 1 at high school followed by Girls Swim & Dive Team Meeting in 2nd floor Forum Room (high school team only attend)
Team Pictures: Friday 9/4/26 3:30PM before practice at Lifetime: If you expect to be included in the picture, you must have all your registration forms in, have made the team, and be attending all practices.
Coaching Purpose Statement: I coach to help young people grow into their best selves by pursuing excellence in and out of the pool while instilling lifelong values—confidence, growth mindset, gratitude, resilience, integrity, work ethic, belonging, and humor—believing athletes are strongest when mind, body, and spirit develop together, and measuring success not only by results, but by the character, connection, and authenticity built along the way.-Coach Ridley
Coaching Philosophy:
The Girls’ Swim and Dive Team Philosophy is that every athlete will see growth and improvement throughout the season (this may be athletically, ethically, socially, etc.). Furthermore, every athlete will work for the success of the team, as the team comes before the individual. We have extremely high expectations for the Wayzata Girls’ Swimming and Diving program. If you have questions or concerns regarding our expectations of you this season, please refer to the Ethics Letter (available on the Swimming and Diving website) that you and your parents will be required to read and sign.
Lettering
To letter in swimming and diving, an athlete must meet the following qualifications from the start of the season (August 17th) to her championship meet:
Attendance: an athlete must attend 95% of practices. This equates to having only 3-4 unexcused absences (number depends on athlete’s championship meet), which include, but are not limited to, work conflicts, haircuts, dentist appointments, vacations, senior photos, or college visits.
Ethics: an athlete must follow all rules set forth by the coaches (which are detailed in the Ethics Letter), the school and the MSHSL.
Athletics:
A diver must achieve a score of 170 at two six-dive JV/Varsity non-championship meets.
A swimmer must achieve one of the three following options:
Swim a time equivalent to top eight at Varsity Sections (For example, if a swimmer qualifies for the championship heat at Varsity Sections, she will letter. Also, if a swimmer goes a time at JV Sections that would have qualified for the championship heat at Varsity Sections in the same event, she will letter.)
Swim a time at an officiated meet from the chart below (based on past 3 season average Varsity Sections Championship heat qualifying times):
200 Free 2:06.52 100 Free :57.54
200 IM 2:18.42 500 Free 5:32.78
50 Free :25.76 100 Back 1:01.17
100 Fly 1:02.92 100 Breast 1:11.90
2026 Class AA State Qualifying Standards: (based on past 3 year average of the 16th fastest time of the state meet preliminaries at the U of M Aquatic Center.
Event Qualifying Time
200 Medley Relay 1:52.25
200 Free 1:56.62
200 IM 2:10.45
50 Free 24.43
100 Fly 58.71
100 Free 53.32
500 Free 5:13.37
200 Free Relay 1:41.44
100 Back 59.18
100 Breast 1:07.68
400 Free Relay 3:41.04
Soft Costs
Other than the fee to join the team ($225.00 upon registration), each athlete will need a team suit, which she will be able to use throughout her four to six years on the team, along with a pair of goggles. She will also have the option of buying team apparel, which may consist of a t-shirt, sweatshirt or polo, and sweatpants or shorts. There are a few team outings in which an athlete may need $10-$25 to help pay for the cost of food, gas, senior celebration, etc. Lastly, athletes and parents interested in attending the banquet will need to pay for the meal and site. Please note that anyone who needs financial assistance should contact Sara Ridley.
Boosters
There are several ways to donate money and time to the Swim and Dive Team: Booster Memberships, Concessions, AAU Basketball Tournaments, and “Three Winners” Memberships. Fundraised money is used directly to enhance the student-athletes experience as a member of the Wayzata High School Swim and Dive Program. Fundraising projects organized by the Wayzata Athletic Boosters are the only projects that may take place. NO outside fundraising activities are allowed.
Thank you for taking interest in the Wayzata High School Girls’ Swim and Dive Program. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns in regard to the above information or the team. The coaching staff and captains are looking forward to a very challenging and successful season-hope to see you on August 17th!
Sincerely, High School Coaches Sara Ridley, Alena Paulson and Mike Yasis
Sara: 612-801-7243 sara.ridley@wayzataschools.org
Alena: 507-351-9444 alena.paulson@wayzataschools.org
Mike: 612-290-0923 corvettecoke@yahoo.com