Amid a terrific roar of chanting from teammates and cheering from spectators, Park girls’ swimming’s first home meet finished with a winning score of 48-46.

Senior captain Nicole Sanford said a positive team attitude and a strong park spirit were factors in the team’s performance.

“I think our mindset definitely contributed to our win, we came into the meet hoping for mostly personal records, so we weren’t necessarily expecting to win, but we still had a really positive attitude, so that really contributed,” Sanford said. “I think the atmosphere, deck and cheering for the team really made a difference, and really pushed the girls to go as fast as they can.”

Assistant coach Amanda Forsberg also said she attributed the win to a strong team mindset and dedication.

“I think (swimmers) swam together, it wasn’t just individuals. They came together as a team and kind of fed off each others energy, and we’ve been putting in a lot of hard work at practice. The 400 free relay came down to the last relay, and it took the whole team to get there,” Forsberg said.

Sanford said she is eager to see personal improvement from everyone.

“I just hope that the meets coming up are as successful as this one was. Whether we win or lose, I just hope that people continue to drop time and set personal records for themselves, but obviously I hope that we can win when we can,” Sanford said.

Forsberg said performance at the meet raised the bar, increasing everyone’s expectations for the season.

“This meet just raised the goals a lot higher than we previously had, we’ve never actually beat Chaska before, this was a huge win for us. The girls swam phenomenally, everyone had good races, it was fun to watch, it’s always fun to have competition,” Forsberg said.

Freshman Madigan Doherty said she was happy to see the team so elated after its performance.

“I felt pretty good, I was nervous, just because it was the first home meet, but overall I think as a team I think we did really well. It was nice to see everybody get so excited because we’ve never won against Chaska. It was really fun, it was nice to see the team come together,” Doherty said.

Sanford said the team could improve communication, but has a great bond, which she hopes can be maintained.

“I think it can be challenging sometimes to make sure everybody is on the same page, but other than that I just think we are a really good team and all really close, and I just hope that can continue for the rest of the season,” Sanford said.

Doherty said the relationship dynamics between everyone involved is critical for her and the entire team’s success.

“Working together is really important, to work with your coaches, and with your teammates, in order to build a good relationship with the people on your team,” Doherty said.

Sanford said she enjoys improving her personal abilities as a swimmer and being a part of the team.

“I love being able to push myself in practice and at meets, I love the atmosphere and all the girls that support each other,” Sanford said.

Forsberg said the outlook on the season is highly enthusiastic, with an eye set on advancing to State.

“Well we move to Double A, so it will be fun to try and get some kids to state, the times are a lot harder but I believe that we can still get hopefully a relay and a couple of individuals there,” Forsberg said.

Park’s next meet is 6 p.m. Sept. 7 at the St. Louis Park High School Pool against Chanhassen.