For state meet, Wayzata swimmer Claire Reinke settles into the pool she'll call home

A senior and defending champion, she's going to compete for the Gophers in college.

By Joel Rippel Star Tribune

November 17, 2022 — 12:33am

Claire Reinke has been a frequent visitor to the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, since competing in the girls swimming and diving state meet for the first time as an eighth-grader.

On Thursday and Friday, the Wayzata senior will compete in her final high school state meet looking to defend her Class 2A state title in the 100-yard butterfly.

But this week's state meet won't be the last time she competes at the facility on the University of Minnesota campus. Reinke plans to call it her swimming home for the next four years.

Reinke has committed to swim for the Gophers. She and Edina senior Katie McCarthy, the defending Class 2A state champion in the 200 and 500 freestyles, will join a Gophers roster that currently has nine Minnesotans on a 29-member team.

"Before I even went on my official visit last year, I had enjoyed talking to the coaches and hearing about the enthusiasm they have for their team," Reinke said. "While on the visit I had the opportunity to tour the school facilities and watch a practice, along with getting to know the team. I fell in love with the team atmosphere and how the team culture felt like a family."

Wayzata coach Elizabeth Hansen said that among the things that impress her about Reinke is Reinke's "love of the high school season. She swims for the Hopkins Hurricanes [a club team]. But all her friends swim high school. She lives for the high school season."

Reinke said committing to the Gophers during her junior year helped her this season.

"Already finishing my recruiting process allowed more of my focus to be on my team and our season," Reinke said. "This additional focus allows me to better enjoy my final year as a Trojan."

Included in the highlights for Reinke and the Trojans this season are winning the Class 2A, Section 5 title last week — Reinke won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly titles — and a runner-up finish at the Class 2A True Team state meet last month.

At the True Team meet, Oct. 22 at the Aquatic Center, the Trojans finished with 2,360.5 points, behind first-place Minnetonka, which had 2,427.5 points.

"The highlight of the season so far for the team and myself would definitely be True Team state," Reinke said. "Not only did we all swim incredibly fast, with every race being a season best, we also had amazing energy."

The Trojans finished fourth at both the 2019 and 2021 state meets. In 2019 they scored 189 points; Edina won with 344. Last year the Trojans scored 165; Minnetonka won with 381.

Reinke won her first state title in the butterfly as a freshman in 2019 by edging Wayzata teammate Melinda Zhang. After the 2020 state meet was not held because of COVID-19, she won her second butterfly state title last year.

"She's undefeated in the 100 butterfly in high school," said Hansen, who is in her 17th year as a coach. "She's incredibly humble. What stands out most about her is her charisma. She has a magnetic personality. People are drawn to her. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She can't hide it and does not pretend to be someone she isn't."