Dagny Knutson: Looking Back and to the Future

Feature by Kristen Heiss

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, February 16. DAGNY Knutson jumped onto the swimming scene this past summer in Omaha. As a 16-year-old, she placed seventh in the 200 IM at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

The swimming world kept their eye on this swimmer as she started her junior year of high school. She certainly did not disappoint: five months later, Dagny is the American Record holder in the 400 IM and a National High School Record holder in three events. Now, she shares a little bit about swimming in Minot, North Dakota and what the past few months have been like for her.

Dagny started off her swimming success her junior year by shattering three high school records at the North Dakota High School State Meet in November in the 100, 200, and 500 yard freestyles. With a state population of only 630,000, there are not many people who swim in the state, let alone who can be training partners for someone of Dagny's caliber.

"When a set gets really rough, no one can go the times that I go in practice. But most practices I am by myself with [Coach] Kathy [Aspaas]… I think what motivates me is just that idea of getting faster, stronger, and working my way towards being the best. I want to see how hard I can push myself and how far I can go, especially coming from North Dakota."

Dagny says that she does not have a regular pool that she trains at but chooses from three or four in the Minot area, depending on what is "available and convenient for my day-to-day schedule."

Despite the lack of swimmers to train with or a constant training facility, Dagny has much to be excited about. In December at the USA Swimming Short Course Nationals, Dagny broke Katie Hoff's previous American Record in the 400 IM.

"I think my most exciting accomplishment was the American Record in the 400 yard IM. It was so exciting because it was unexpected. A race like that lets me, as a swimmer, know what I'm capable of."

With so much recent success, swimmers and coaches are wondering what Dagny's secret is. Dagny attributes all of the good things that have come her way to hard work.

"Everything I do in the pool, or out, I contribute to my success. I always put in a big work load, especially in my dry-land training. Since last fall, I've just increased my yardage and worked on areas that needed improvement, like my endurance and my breaststroke."

Most recently, Dagny continued tearing up the pool at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in January. Dagny returned home from Guam with seven gold medals and seven meet records, four in individual events and three in relays.

"The meet in Guam was so much fun! Personally, I learned a lot about how I am as a swimmer. I had been rested since my high-school state meet in November and the Junior Pan Pacifics were in early January, so when I swam great times in Guam, I learned that I could still maintain my edge in the pool for longer periods of time. I also learned about wake-up swims. Guam was my first meet to try them and I think they worked!"

As Dagny prepares for her senior year of high school, she has plenty to look forward to and plenty of decisions coming her way: World Trials, college, and the possibility of swimming professionally, to name a few.

"I feel like I have so many options for this up-and-coming year. I've been looking at colleges and what it might take to become professional, but overall, I'm taking it one day at a time. I hope to have more decisions made by the end of the summer."

Whatever comes in the future, one thing is for certain: there are more best times, new records, and fast swimming ahead for Dagny Knutson.

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