Elk Grove High School is home to swimming and diving record breaker sophomore Anna Sprenger. Sprenger was a state qualifier last year, and through a hard work ethic and dedication, she is ready to take on state once again.

“It’s exciting yet, challenging for me. If I do the dives I have now to the best of my ability, and add in some new ones, I can be confident going back,” Sprenger said.

Sprenger broke the school’s diving record this year as a sophomore. Her score of 234.85 points beat the previous record of 226.65. This margin will be hard to top by any future Grenadier, but Sprenger remains humble, admitting she wasn’t sure she’d break the record and was shocked by her score.

Sprenger conveyed that the earlier dives felt solid, and she was aware she was getting close to the record, but ultimately, Sprenger was shocked and ecstatic when she broke the record, beaming, “It made the tough days worth it.”

Sprenger also took first at the Hoffman Invite earlier in September. However, the season isn’t over, and Sprenger says that Hersey and Fremd have put together respectable diving teams. She is aware that her success relies heavily on her ability to perform more difficult dives in order to achieve higher scores.

In order to be this successful in the sport, there are challenges aside from hitting the water in the correct position. Every morning at 5:45 a.m., Sprenger is at the pool ready to practice and the meets typically last until 7:30 p.m.

This intense scheduling does not damper Sprenger’s mood, but instead Sprenger elaborated on the upsides, such as the fun that comes out of being so new to something, yet being very successful. Sprenger’s mom is her biggest supporter, as Sprenger said, “She pushes me when necessary, but she is proud of me no matter what.”

Sprenger and the team’s next meet is at home against Prospect on October 13.