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More Than Fast: Celebrating Grit, Growth, and Community
From standout swims to selfless acts, this month’s highlights show what it truly means to be a Foxjet—on the blocks, on the road, and beyond.
It’s been a season of momentum, milestones, and meaningful moments—and this month’s newsletter captures it all. We celebrate record-breaking turnout at our annual BBQ, back-to-back meet success in Mankato and at Aquajets, and a powerful reminder of community when one Foxjets family stepped up to help swimmers in need.
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Coach Lloyd shares a message about staying true to yourself and your training as we head into championship season, and we spotlight the values that make our team more than just a group of swimmers.
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Plus, don’t miss our Swimmers of the Month: congratulations to Lorelei and Sophie for exemplifying the FoxJets spirit both in and out of the pool!
INTEGRITY
Be True to the Process
Lloyd Larsen (Head Program Director)
Being True—a genuine, honest version of yourself—is at the heart of Integrity, one of our team’s core values. It means we’re not pretending, not putting on a show. We don’t train or compete to impress others—we do it because it reflects who we are and what we believe in.
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People with integrity do the right thing even when no one is watching. That includes how we approach practice, how we talk to teammates, and how we prepare for the moments that matter most—like the end-of-season meets coming up for many of you.
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As we head into championship season, I want to encourage each of you to be True in your reflections. Think about what’s working for you right now—what habits, attitudes, or training routines are helping you feel confident? What would you like to keep building on? And just as important, what might need to shift? Being honest with yourself is the first step in getting better.
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Being True also means showing up fully to your training. Every set you do matters throughout the year—but right now, in the final stretch before big meets, the work becomes even more impactful. These are not the days to check out early. We want to enter taper with strength, confidence, and energy—not because we pulled back too soon, but because we stayed committed through the finish.
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FoxJets swimmers are not just competitors: they’re collaborators, teammates, and leaders in their own progress. That’s what makes this team special. So wherever you are in your season, stay invested, stay focused, and keep being True to who you are and what you want from this sport.
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Let’s finish strong.
This year’s FoxJets Annual Barbecue and Business Meeting was one for the books—with over 150 athletes, families, and coaches gathering at Lake Riley Park for an evening of food, fun, and team spirit. To put that in perspective, past years have typically drawn around 50 attendees. The surge in turnout reflects the growing strength of our community—and the energy was as high as the temperatures.
The Stout family led the charge at the grill, keeping the crowd fueled with a steady stream of burgers, brats, and hot dogs. The smoky aroma of dinner mixed with the buzz of swimmers and parents reconnecting after long meet weekends made for the perfect summer vibe.
Meanwhile, the tie-dye station was packed with creativity. Dozens of swimmers added bold swirls, splashes, and stripes to their white FoxJets shirts—transforming them into one-of-a-kind team keepsakes. It was colorful, chaotic, and completely awesome.
For those who couldn’t make it or want to keep the team spirit going strong, stay tuned: we’ll be kicking off Team Gear Day at the Cedar Falls meet. Keep those tie-dye shirts handy and get ready to show your FoxJets pride on deck and in the stands.
Thanks to everyone who made the event such a success. Whether you came for the food, the friends, or the fabric dye—we were glad to have you there.
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When the Swim Community Shows Up
Just north of Rochester, on the way to the Summerfest meet, a FoxJets family saw something no one ever wants to witness—a car veering across the highway, crashing into the guardrail, and landing in a ditch. Jessica McBeth and her husband, Jason, were driving Zack to the meet when it happened.
Jessica was napping when the crash happened. But Zack noticed the swimmer’s parka one of the passengers was wearing. That detail changed everything.
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“I told Jason to pull over,” Jessica said. “Seeing that they were swimmers made the decision easy. I figured if nothing else, we could get them to the pool in time for warmups.”
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When they reached the car, they found two boys—probably ages 17 and 14—shaken but mostly unhurt, surrounded by deployed airbags and calling their mom. The McBeth family offered them a ride to the pool, and they gratefully accepted. After a brief conversation with the arriving sheriff, who cleared them to go, the group continued on to Rochester together.
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Why stop? Why help strangers? For Jessica, the answer was simple: they were swimmers.
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“The swim community is just something special,” she said. “It’s full of kind, supportive, honest people—kids, coaches, and parents alike. It’s one of those rare groups where values like the FoxJets’ really come to life.”
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In moments like these, the FoxJets core value of Integrity takes on new meaning. It’s not just about doing the right thing in the pool or during a hard set. It’s about stepping up when no one’s expecting you to. It’s about putting people first.
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We’re proud to celebrate fast times and big wins, but we’re even more proud of the character our families show, both on and off the pool deck.
Foxjets Dominate the Summer Circuit
Foxjets swimmers delivered back-to-back outstanding performances at the Mankato and Aquajet meets, turning up the intensity, racking up best times, and showcasing exactly what it means to race with heart, focus, and team pride.
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In Mankato, the conditions were truly summer-level with air temperatures soaring into the upper 90s. But the heat didn’t slow down our swimmers. From the opening event to the final relay, Foxjets athletes showed up ready to race. The team collected a huge number of personal bests, new qualifying times, and strong relay splits, all while keeping the energy light and fun on deck.
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One of the most impressive stats came from what we call “The Battle of the Best Times”—a comparison of best-time percentages across similarly sized teams. The result? Foxjets took the top spot in dominant fashion:
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Foxjets (FOXJ): 69%
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SEMS: 55%
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Mankato (MAN): 49%
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STRM: 41%
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RSC: 40%
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WEST: 37%
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“We ROCKED this meet,” said Head Coach Lloyd. “The swimmers handled the heat incredibly well and raced with confidence. We’re proud of every athlete who competed and excited to keep this momentum going.”
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The team did just that at the Aquajet meet the following weekend—another high-level competition where Foxjets athletes rose to the challenge. The qualifying times just to enter the meet were steep, but that didn’t slow our momentum. Across the board, our swimmers turned in impressive performances, including 56 new qualifying times for Gold, Champ, and Zone meets.
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Once again, Foxjets showed its strength in the Battle of the Best Times for Minnesota teams of similar size:
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RIPT: 60%
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Foxjets (FOXJ): 55%
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MTKA: 53%
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EDI: 52%
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RSC: 49%
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AQJT: 48%
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SEMS: 39%
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HURR: 38%
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STRM: 30%
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The back-to-back meets were a great reminder of the team’s depth, determination, and unity—on hot pool decks, in tough races, and in how our athletes continue to support one another.
Congratulations to all our swimmers and families on two incredible weekends of racing. Let’s keep the momentum going into Cedar Falls and beyond!
Notes from Board President
May 2025
Micah Roberts
Notes from the May Board Meeting
The FoxJets Board met on May 20, 2025, to review club operations, financials, volunteer commitments, and planning for the 2025–26 season. With participation from both in-person and virtual attendees, the meeting marked continued progress in several key areas as we wrap up the Spring-Summer stretch and look ahead to Fall.
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Financials Remain Strong
We’re currently ahead of budget thanks to lower payroll costs, limited travel, and higher-than-expected income from hosted meets. Special thanks to Brad Hodgins, our bookkeeper, who joined the meeting to walk us through the current P&L. While we had projected a seasonal loss, we now have a positive variance—a welcome development.
The board approved a 3% dues increase for the upcoming Fall-Winter season, effective for 2025–26. This increase is not compounded year-over-year and helps ensure we keep pace with rising pool rental and staffing costs.
There was also a broader discussion about returning to a full-year budgeting model in 2026–27 (rather than our current split between Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer), which could improve planning and clarity moving forward.
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Volunteer Policy Updates
Volunteer hours were a major discussion point, especially given the limited number of events in Spring-Summer. The board approved a reduction in required hours for this season—from 12 to 4 hours—to better reflect the actual number of opportunities available.
Jessica McBeth will be communicating this change to families. Those who’ve already fulfilled the 4-hour minimum and are signed up for additional meets will be removed from the sign-ups to free space for others.
The board also began discussing a shift to a year-round volunteer model, which could smooth out expectations and reduce surprises for families who join mid-year. We’re exploring whether Winter Classic volunteering should become mandatory and whether we should revise the dollar value tied to the volunteer deposit.
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Registration & Team Growth
The board finalized a plan for Fall-Winter registration: the standard registration fee will be $50, but any sign-ups after July 20 will carry a late fee of $100. Registration materials will include practice schedules, dues, and training group assignments to help families plan.
The team continues to grow, especially among younger swimmers. Full-season enrollment is slightly above target, and the number of partial-season swimmers has jumped significantly. We expect this momentum to carry through the next few years as the middle of the program expands.
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Events & Member Engagement
Looking ahead, the Cedar Falls Summer Sizzler BBQ is scheduled for July 11. All families are welcome, and volunteers are still needed. A $10 fee covers a full grilled meal—Derrick Hanson is back at the grill for another round.
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Swim-A-Thon Planning
The board discussed hosting a Swim-A-Thon this fall, either in September or November, with all proceeds dedicated to coaching education and development and scholarships.
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Head Coach Report
Lloyd shared updates on programming and registration policies. One important note: New Swimmer Clinic attendees will receive a refund of their registration fee if they sign up for the season within two days of the clinic and stay on the team.
We also talked about the Richfield bus program, which saw lower sign-up numbers than expected. Since the cost increase likely played a role, the board recommends announcing the bus option earlier next year so families can plan accordingly.
Finally, Lloyd will follow up on whether to send coaches to the ASCA World Clinic in Reno this fall, balancing the training benefit with overall cost.
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Getting to Know Your Team
Selected by the coaches and recognizing the athletes that best exemplify our core values of Integrity, Family, Attitude, and Ambition.
Lorelei Melson-Cook
Red
Sophie Hallee
Bronze
Lorelei
What do you love most about swimming?
Getting to spend a lot of time in the pool!
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What’s your favorite stroke or skill to practice?
Breaststroke and Streamlines!
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Do you like swim meets? What’s your favorite part?
Yes! Getting the ribbons!
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Can you remember a time when you felt proud of yourself at swimming?
Once at a swim meet I got a 6th, 7th and 8th place ribbon all at one meet!
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What’s something that makes swim practice fun?
I like working on streamlines and sometimes if we work fast we get free time in the pool!
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Is there a teammate or coach who always makes you smile?
That's is easy! Coach Nick and Coach Brian!
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Do you have a lucky cap, suit, or swim bag?
Regan Smith signed a swim cap for me that I keep in my room!
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What do you like to do when you’re not swimming?
Could I do swimming at the Community Center? If not, I like playing outside with my friends.
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What’s something you’ve learned since joining FoxJets?
Diving!
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What would you tell a new swimmer who feels nervous?
Don't be nervous because they got you! Everybody won't leave you behind!
Sophie
What do you love most about swimming?
Over the past year, I’ve liked how much progress I’ve made since joining Foxjets. I’ve gotten much stronger and faster. I also like watching my odds of getting away from a shark go up very slightly.
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What’s your favorite stroke or skill to practice?
My favorite skill to practice is breaststroke kick because it feels so much easier than flutter kick.
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Do you like swim meets? What’s your favorite part?
I like swim meets because I get to spend a lot of time with my team mates out of the water. Plus racing to get good times.
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Is there a teammate or coach who always makes you smile
One friend I’ve made since the first day of swimming was Avery. I liked her company and joking around with her both in and out of the water.
What do you like to do when you’re not swimming?
Outside of swimming I like writing, drawing, reading. And especially playing with my neighbors, (Eva and Olive, who’s also on Foxjets.)
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What would you tell a new swimmer who feels nervous?
I was really nervous when I first started Foxjets, but thanks to the coaches and the friends I’ve made, I have a lot of fun with all the practices and meets. I am still really glad I joined Foxjets.
Lorelei is our youngest swimmer on the team (just turned 6 yrs old) and is in her 3rd season already. She has accomplished so many things since beginning with us such as her first meet, first legal backstroke swim to recently completing her first 50 Breaststroke at a meet. Lorelei is developing into a great little leader as well and loves to demonstrate the skills we are working on at practice. We look forward to seeing her progress through the 8 and under levels and each group on our team.
Coach Brian
Sophie is focused and engaged for every practice. Her dedication to improving her technique and her ability to listen and follow coaches instructions make her a great example for her teammates.
Coach RJ