Nighthawks Swimming Concludes Successful Season

As we move into March, Northfield winter sports are wrapping up. The boys and girls basketball teams will look to make some noise in the state playoffs this month, but one team has already finished a successful season. The girls swimming team participated in their last meet of the year on February 17th. That meet concluded an impressive year for Northfield in their second year competing at the 5A level. The Nighthawks’ success is evident in both the accomplishments of individual athletes and overall team performance.

Many Nighthawk swimmers had incredible personal achievements. Out of the 12 different events that they compete in, the Nighthawks broke nine records. These were the events in which Northfield reached new bests:

• 200 Medley Relay

• 200 Free Relay 

• 50 Free

• 100 free

• 500 free

• 200 Free relay

• 100 back

• 100 breast 

• 400 free relay

The school sent twenty-one athletes to the state competition. One of these athletes, dive captain Morgan Lemmon, was named to the 5A State 2nd Team. Lucy Lavonas earned the senior athlete of the year award for the league as a whole, titled the “Jim Hartman Award.” On top of all the individual performances, the Nighthawks achieved significant accomplishments as a team. In the league meet in 2025, Northfield placed second, but they were nearly 200 points behind the first-place East Angels. In 2026, the Nighthawks finished second again, but this time they were just 24 points back of East. According to Head Coach Olivia Allen, “We have our eyes set on the title next year.” Coach Allen stressed the importance of the team’s connection in all of their achievements this year. She said, “The strength of this team was its depth, resilience, and willingness to lead in different ways,  whether that was dropping time in a key race, supporting a teammate, or bringing energy to every practice.”

The Nighthawks are creating a foundation that they can build off of down the line. Even though this was an incredible year, they still have room to improve and grow. Coach Allen emphasized that she wants to help create a sustainable program. In addition to improving times and sending more athletes to important meets, she hopes to “strengthen [Northfield’s] pipeline by building relationships with younger athletes and encouraging more students to see swimming and diving as an opportunity to grow, compete, and be part of something meaningful.”

Coach Allen has already identified several underclassmen who may be key athletes in the Nighthawks future. Included in the nine records broken this year are three sophomores: Lia Hoke, Nora Tryggestad and Josie Blackburn. Allen said about these swimmers, “With two more years to continue developing, they have the potential to keep rewriting the record board and help lead the program to even greater success.”

Overall, Coach Allen and her team have built an impressive program that is set up to represent Northfield well for years to come. She said, “The standard has been raised, and there is a clear understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level. Our goal is to continue strengthening the culture, building depth, and pushing each other to improve. It is exciting to see the program growing in confidence and consistency, and we are looking forward to what comes next.” The Nighthawks girls swim team is just one example of the successful athletic programs Northfield has built and is continuing to grow every year. As this season comes to an end, the Nighthawks can look forward to spring sports, such as lacrosse and baseball.