Todd Beamer High School junior Morgan Vance worked hard for three weeks to make league time in her 100 yard breaststroke and she finally made it, winning her event.

Her previous best time was 1:27.65 and she beat it with a time of 1:26.78, dropping almost a full second, as well as getting under league time, which was 1:26.86.

“We are all extremely proud of her and are excited to see her compete again,” said Jennifer Larsen, swim coach.

Vance said reaching her goal felt really good.

“I have been building up for that time pretty much the whole season, so when I reached that goal, I got really excited,” she said. “I feel accomplished.”

Vance first learned how to swim when she was 2 years old and starting competing at 5.

“Swimming has always been a part of my life,” Vance said. “I like swimming better than any other sport, like running, because you don’t get sore, you don’t feel like you do if you run. But it gets me in great shape.”

In addition to swimming, Vance also plays softball competitively.

“I feel like playing two sports is a good idea because when I’m not swimming I am still working out hard and staying active through softball,” she said.

Vance works all year to keep her body strong for swimming.

“I work out my arms a lot and work to improve my upper body strength for my breaststroke and things like that,” she said. “It’s all about doing what you can to drop those seconds.”

In addition to breaststroke, Vance also competes in the 200 medley relay, the 100 meter freestyle and the 200 individual medley.

She contributes her success this season to her 14 teammates.

“We are all really close and it helps me when I am competing to know that my team is there for me, cheering me on,” she said. “During the match,  I was really nervous and I heard them yelling for me and it made me calmer and just made me feel really good.”