Not only did the GHS/GEHS combined swim team make huge strides this year by successfully sending both of their varsity teams and all of their relays to state, but they also had individual athletes overcome several challenges this season. One of the most notable examples is Mya Hallgren’s effort in overcoming an injury that would often be season-ending for other high school athletes: a tear in her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). And, as just a freshman.
“ So the fact that she’s a freshman, she made individuals, her freshman year was (impressive),” said Kari Meister, the GHS/GEHS combined swim coach. “Then to come in with an injury that can be a big mental block of like, ‘oh no, what’s it gonna be like my last three years here?’ So to be able to swim through that injury just helps show that she can do anything.”
With any sport, injuries can keep a student off the field, court or, in Hallgren’s case, the pool. Because of this, Hallgren had to push herself during the few weeks that led up to the NSAA State Swim Competition.
“ I ended up being able to walk normally, and I went to PT (physical therapy), and my physical therapist told me that if I felt like I could, then I could,” Hallgren said. “And so I got in the water for like three days before state and I practiced my starts, my turns, and I developed ways to be fast, even with my injury and to prevent it from hurting while I swam.”
Despite being physically able to compete with her injury, Hallgren still faced challenges that her competitors didn’t.
“ Once she was cleared by the doctor, she got in and she wasn’t able to kick,” Meister said. “She did not push off a wall with one (of her feet). So to be able to race other people that could have a push versus one was something that she had to overcome. She was at quite a disadvantage. But Mya works her tail off and doesn’t let anything hold her back.”
Hallgren ended up finishing sixth out of eight in her individual heat while sustaining an injury. Before competing, Hallgren was supported and encouraged by not only her team, but her brother.
“ Her brother, Alex, is a big advocate for Mya. He is always there to help her, whether it’s cheering her on, giving her advice, pepping her up,” Meister said. “The girls all came, went around her and gave her hugs when she was frustrated. They support her as far as cheering. Most of her team is very, we’re very tight knit. So they all just gathered around and made sure she had the love and knew that she could do it.”
In addition to making state as a freshman, Hallgren achieved her goal of breaking the school record in the 50m freestyle mid-way through the season. This goal comes in addition to Meister’s goal of the swimmers regularly achieving personal records and taking the team’s relays to state.
“They accomplished all the goals I set,” Meister said. “One of my goals was to have swimmers get their personal best times in their own races, and all the swimmers did that, whether it’s in one of their races or multiple. We also had a goal of making all of our relays to state, and all of them made it to state and quite a few of them made it back to finals.”
Coach Meister also has high hopes for Hallgren for the next three years.
“ She is a phenomenal swimmer,” Meister said. “She’s a phenomenal athlete in the sense that she takes whatever advice I give her and really tries to implement in the water.”
