Limited girls at the meet secured their spots to states. Betsy Ropke ’26 was among the few. She swam the 100 backstroke and secured her spot to states with 0.1 seconds to spare. While her team was amazed and cheering, Ropke knew it would happen.
“All I told myself was I had to go,” Ropke said. “I felt strong and ready to race. It felt like I was flying.”
Ropke kept pieces of paper taped to her bedroom ceiling and walls displaying the cut time to help motivate her. She believes that it helps to always think about it, making her push herself to new levels in the swim world. Not only did she push herself, but her teammates also pushed her.
“The support from this Blue Devils team is unmatched,” Ropke said. “It is the best team out there, and we are always here for each other.”
The only other swimmer to claim a new state cut was Lorelei Carr ’26. She dropped a whopping 14 seconds in the 100 backstroke.
“I haven’t swam the event in a long time, but I still felt good,” Carr said. “I was very surprised. I did not think I was going to get it.”
Moving towards the state meet, the whole team will be preparing rigorously and they are currently projected to place second in the whole state. Mercy High School is South’s biggest competitor, ranked first in the state directly ahead of South. The girls are hoping for some good competition and to potentially beat Mercy.
“Looking to drop even more time, and we’re coming for Mercy,” Ropke said. “Here we go.”
