Page 4 Edina Fall Sports Preview • Thursday, August 28, 2025 current. mnsun. com
Work always pays off in the end for swimmers
JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com
It was the first week of practice and members of the Edina High girls swimming team were cheerfully swimming laps at the Art Downey Aquatic Center.
Sure, it was hard work, but the girls realized that the pay-off would come at the end of the fall season in November. The Hornets are accustomed to climbing onto the victory stand as state champions, and there is sufficient evidence that they will do that again this year.
Most of the swimmers who made Edina state champions last winter are back, led by the last of the McCarthy sisters, Libby, who follows in the aquatic footprints of older siblings Kelly and Katie.
The McCarthys have more state medals than any trio in history.
Both Kelly and Katie went on from high school to become star collegians.
Asked about her family’ s history in swimming, Libbi McCarthy said,“ This is what we do. My sisters help me, I try to help them.”
The school record board at the Art Downey Aquatic Center lists every high water mark in every event. Libbi can look up at the board and see her sisters’ names and also her own name.
There is a sense of pride in making it onto the record board because it’ s not easy.
One addition was made to the board at practice last week when current Hornet Bobbi Simmons saw her new record in the backstroke being posted by Edina head coach Jeff Mace.
Speaking of coach Mace, he was elected to the Edina Athletic Hall of Fame last fall. The hall of fame class for 2025 will include Mellanie Pusateri, who was head coach before Mace and now serves as his assistant.
Libbi McCarthy is one of six captains for the Hornets this season. The others are Ally Hahn, Natalie Katz, Anja Nymo, Audrey Peterson and Janie Siedschlag. It is an accomplished group with a lot of state meet experience.
All of the girls on the team are aware of the timetested expectations – come to practice every day, be on time and be ready to work.“ Everyone is working hard to do their best,” Libbi McCarthy said.“ There is a good team atmosphere. We know what the goals are and we have mostly everybody back from last year.”
Most years, state girls swimming and diving comes down to Edina and Minnetonka, the two powerhouse programs in the Lake Conference. Those two schools usually finish 1-2 at state, so much of the suspense that time of year comes down to who will finish third.
Edina has one of the state’ s best facilities at the Art Downey Aquatic Center. As good as the facilities are for the swimmers, the diving pool is just as good, with a 13-foot pool depth on the end that has the diving boards.
There are six Hornet divers working out every day. They are Eloise Anderson, Ellen Duray, Breckyn
( SUN PHOTOS BY JOHN SHERMAN)
Captains of the Edina High girls swimming and diving team for 2025 are, from left to right front row: Libbi McCarthy, Ally Hahn and Janie Siedschlag. Left to right, back row: Natalie Katz, Anja Nymo and Audrey Peterson.
Ferriter, Madeleine Frey, Cat Muir and Millie Peterson.
Meets at the Art Downey Center are always big events. There are plenty of seats for fans from both schools. The only time the capacity is tested is the Section 6AA Meet in November.
State competition is held at the University of Minnesota’ s Jean K. Freeman Pool, a facility worthy of NCAA Division I swimmers.
The Hornets hope to have a huge contingent there again this year. Edina’ s tradition of excellence is likely to continue with another gathering on the awards stand.
Returning high school All-American and multi-year state individual champion Libbi McCarthy leads Edina in the quest for a state title repeat.