The girl waits patiently for her event to be called and the scent of chlorine fills the room. As she sits there bouncing her leg up and down out of impatience. She then gets a text from her dad “Good luck today, Anne Bud!” And all of the nerves go away. On November 11, 2021 at 7a.m, Senior Anne Baumann committed to the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, achieving her dream of swimming in college. Much consideration was put into making this decision for Baumann. “I knew I wanted to go D1 at a school with good academics and this is within driving distance. Most of the teams on my radar either had a team with subpar academics or good academics with a team that was way too fast for me,” Baumann said. “Saint Thomas has a perfect mix of all of the things I want.” Baumann has been swimming for 10 years, starting when she was eight years old. “I never thought that I was good enough to go D1 even tho it has been my dream since I started the sport,” Baumann said. “Over the past few years saw that I was good enough and made that dream a reality.” Junior Casey Gannon has been a part of Baumann’s swimming journey since the very beginning, being there to watch and help her grow. “I have been swimming with Anne for about 10 years now and it has helped us become best friends. We are always super honest with each other and give and take constructive criticism,” Gannon said. Baumann gives much credit of her success to the Kennedy swim team when it comes to preparing her for the next chapter in h “The Kennedy swim team has taught me leadership and teamwork. I would not be nearly the person I am today without the help of my coaches and teammates,” Baumann said. “I will go into college not only a better swimmer, but a well rounded individual.” Kennedy Varsity girl’s swim coach Chad Derlein has seen much growth from Baumann and sees the potential she has in the future. “I have seen so much growth in her (Baumann) as a leader on the team and she has become more goal oriented as she got older,” Derlein said. The journey to getting this far has not always been easy for Baumann. On October 16, 2021, Baumann’s dad passed away unexpectedly. During this time, she was shown great support from her team and especially Gannon. “When my dad passed away she [Gannon] was one of my rocks,” Baumann said. “She showed up at the hospital and never left my side and she also, along with some of my other teammates, spent day and night at my house so I would not be alone.” Derlein also saw the swim team come together as one to support the Baumann family. “The support the Baumann family received was amazing,” Derlein said. “Our team definitely came together and supported them all where they needed help. It made the team closer in a way and it gave them extra purpose since he passed away.” All of the acts of sympathy and love did not go unnoticed by Baumann. “At the regional meet to qualify for state, 160 swimmers, divers and coaches all wore shirts in honor of my dad. It was incredibly moving to witness that many people, most that I did not know, supporting us,” Baumann said. “One family took the time and effort to reserve a spot in honor of my dad at our state dinner and so many other thoughtful gestures were made. I could not have asked for a better support system to go through this with.” Baumann’s hard work is not going unnoticed and she is excited to see what the future holds. She will begin swimming with Saint Thomas in the fall of 2022 and she will have her guardian angel with her along the way.