This week’s player to watch is senior swim team captain, Elise Gerstenecker. As an elite member of the swim team, Gerstenecker has made quite an impressive mark with her ability to lead the team and show her incredible skills, winning many of the races she swims in.

Gerstenecker has been swimming competitively since she was four years old for the Lake St. Louis summer swim team where she fell in love with the sport and became one of the most talented swimmers on the team today. Gerstenecker transferred to St. Dominic this year from Timberland where she was on the varsity swim team and continued competing in her main events of the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard backstroke.

“I am very proud that I was able to continue swimming my prime events after transferring my senior year. I even was able to PR with a 2:05 in the 200 yd freestyle and a 1:06 in the 100 yd backstroke,” Gerstenecker said.

These times are extremely important as the state consideration time for the 200 freestyle is 2:13.99 and 1:08.29 for the 100 yd backstroke. The new rule for state qualifying time is that the top 32 swimmers in the state for each event can compete in that particular event. As of now, Gerstenecker is competing in state for the 400 yard freestyle relay with three other teammates, but Gerstenecker is still hoping to qualify for the 200 yard freestyle event during the next few meets and at conference.

Even though Gerstenecker was new to the team this year, she was able to show her willingness and support to the team by achieving the role of captain. Gerstenecker has been a tremendous captain and the team wouldn’t be the same without her.

“I love how we all cheer and support each other during everyone’s events by standing at the other end of the lane and cheering at each other to make it feel a little less painful. I think encouraging people to come to practice and the meets even if they aren’t swimming to cheer people on is something I lead as being a captain,” Gerstenecker said.

Gerstenecker does not plan on continuing her swim career in college but is very happy with her accomplishments and would not want her swim career to end any other way. Be sure to cheer on Gerstenecker during her conference meet this Saturday via livestream to support her in qualifying for another event at state.