BEMIDJI -- As a high school freshman, Mady Schmidt balanced heartache with hopefulness.
鈥�(It was) my freshman year after sections,鈥� recalled Schmidt, now a senior diver on the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 girls swimming and diving team. 鈥淚 had placed fifth, and I was just on the brink of qualifying for the state tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淚 had become so much more passionate about it, and I had this motivation and drive to want to be better and get better and improve. I wanted to take it to the next level and get as far as I can.鈥�
Now one of the best divers in the Northland, Schmidt has proven she鈥檚 capable of reaching the next level. And on Wednesday, she signed her National Letter of Intent to join a Division I program at the University of South Dakota.
鈥淲hen I got to visit South Dakota, I got to spend some time with the team and see what their whole program is all about,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淚 felt like I fit right in. My relationship with the coach, it felt so natural. That鈥檚 a big reason why I chose South Dakota.鈥�
Ever since the letdown of her freshman season, Schmidt has made strides on the diving board.
She placed fourth at sections as a sophomore in 2019, clinching the final spot at state and ultimately taking ninth in the Class A meet. She made the biggest leap last year as a junior, placing first at all 11 meets during the season. That included the Section 8A meet, where she claimed the diving crown with a score of 410.85. The total put her third among all divers in Class A, though she didn鈥檛 get to compete at state due to the pandemic.
鈥淢y coach has been spending a lot of time working on technique, especially board work,鈥� Schmidt said of her improvements in diving. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big part of actually getting the dive down. Yes, getting the dive is one thing, but getting the proper mechanics to actually do that dive helps make it so much better.鈥�
Schmidt will become the first member of the BHS swimming and diving program to dive collegiately since Jana Hedstrom did so for Concordia Moorhead and Minnesota State Moorhead from 2012-16.
ADVERTISEMENT
Schmidt still has the grand finale of her senior year upcoming, but she can now refocus solely on the pool rather than the recruiting process on top of that.
She had her choices narrowed down to three schools: South Dakota, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Nebraska Omaha, finally deciding within the past few weeks.
鈥淚t was really hard to compare them because each had such a different campus, such a different atmosphere. They were all unique in their own way,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥溾�� It was just a really cool process, and I loved being a part of it.鈥�
The Coyotes won out, and now they鈥檝e got an athlete who鈥檚 diving in headfirst once her time as a Lumberjack wraps up.
鈥淚鈥檝e grown such a passion for (diving) and I love coming into the pool every day,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淚 love being in the water, and I love jumping off a springboard every day.鈥�
