The Bison girls swimming and diving team made school history in its own right this season, sending one swimmer and one diver to States, marking the first time in recent memory that two girls have advanced this far.

Seven girls qualified for districts across multiple events, including junior Alma Saltzman for diving and freshmen Flora Fan and Kate Lee, sophomore Scarlett Adler and seniors Karina Krishnan, Kendall Finley and Maria Zarjetskiy and for swimming.

Freshman Flora Fan went on to compete at the state tournament in the 200 individual medley.

“I felt really excited to represent Beachwood at such a high level, and I’m proud of my performance,” she said.

Junior diver Alma Saltzman competed at the state diving championships at Canton McKinley High School on Feb. 25.

Saltzman completed five dives: front dive pike, front half tuck, back dive straight, backflip half twist and inward flip.

Saltzman was most proud of her inward flip.

“I got more height than usual,” she said.

Her highest score, though, was for her backdive straight.

“It was well-executed,” she said.

Saltzman is the only diver at Beachwood, and she trains with a club program at John Carroll University, practicing alongside divers from several different schools. This year, a change in her training structure helped her improve significantly.

Last year, Saltzman split her training between Beachwood’s diving coach and her club program. This season, she focused on working with one coach at her club, which helped create a clearer training plan.

One of the biggest challenges this season for Saltzman was the pressure leading up to districts, where a small difference in points can determine whether a diver qualifies for state competition.

“I knew I was going to be close to making states, but it wasn’t guaranteed,” Saltzman said. “If I had gotten a couple fewer points, I wouldn’t have qualified.”

Despite the pressure, Saltzman said the support of her coaches played a major role in helping her stay confident throughout the season.

“They always give me a thumbs-up after a dive,” she said. “The support they give is a big part of how [I am] able to be successful.”

Senior Kendall Finley, who has been swimming for 12 years, said the relationships on the team have been built over many years, often dating back to elementary school and club swimming.

“A lot of us seniors have been swimming together since we were really young,” Finley said. “We’re a very close team, and I feel like we have some of the strongest relationships out of any sports team.”

Finley said those relationships helped the team push one another throughout the season.

“You can see the hard work every day in practice,” she said. “We’re always encouraging each other to reach goal times and push past our limits.”

For freshman Kate Lee, the experience of competing at such a high level in her first high school season has been both exciting and challenging.

“It means so much,” she said. “Having so many people make states means a lot for the team.”

For the team’s seniors, this historic season represents both a proud moment and a passing of the torch to younger swimmers. Finley said she hopes the team’s culture continues after she graduates.

“I’m really proud of the environment we’ve created,” Finley said. “It feels like a family, and I know the younger swimmers will continue that.”

She notes how despite the team having new members, team leaders work hard to welcome underclassmen. 

“A lot of us are trying to make them feel a part of the group,” she said. “It just feels like they fit right in.”

Lee shares a similar outlook for the future.

“I hope we carry this energy into next year,” she said. “I think it’s possible for even more of the team to make states.”