On Legacy Day, a video of the synchronized swimming team was featured during the final broadcast, showing completed routines over music. But despite the video airing to all attending students, more is to be said: there’s more to the team than what’s visible at first glance. 

The Synchronized swim team combined with Minnetonka this year; they have previously co-opted with other teams. Captain Charlee Jones ‘26 explains, “I really enjoy being on a co-op team because you get to know people that you wouldn’t know…It’s cool to have something that doesn’t feel as stuck in… [a] bubble.” Many of her best friends are on the team and attend Minnetonka, causing her to be grateful for the opportunities of a co-opted team. Shoumili Tarafdar ‘26, another captain, is “so glad we’re co-op with Minnetonka. I’ve met some of the best people in my life through synchro. They’ve seen me change, they’ve seen me laugh, they’ve seen me cry. That’s probably one of the best parts of synchro.”

 Jones stated that in synchro, there are two different categories: “We have routines and figures. Figures are like gymnastics if you were scored on a singular back flip. [It’s] one technical movement in front of a panel of judges who give you a score [between] 1-10. For routines, it’s what you think of when you think of synchronized swimming. You get a song, you do some lifts, like in the Olympics. During championship season, synchro works similarly to any other sport, the section placement deciding who goes to state. There, they compete with solos, duets, trios, and group routines.”

Tarafdar shares, “My first experience with synchro is when I showed up to practice my first day, and our captain at the time…had a really bubbly, cheerful personality. I asked her what her most unpopular hot take was, and she said ‘77 + 33 should equal 100.’ It was so memorable because I was like, ‘That’s so stupid, but that’s so funny.’” 

Jones’ favorite memory was from her freshman year, when she “got second overall at state in my figures and all [her] routines placed.” “It was just watching and feeling everybody on the team celebrate that and support me…everyone was so excited,” she adds.

While the synchro team is not very well known, the group fosters a great atmosphere. As Tarafdar says, “It’s kind of just a sense of community…it’s a fun and happy environment.”