Record-breaking, award-winning Coon Rapids girls' swimmer tears it up in the classroom, too

During her freshman year at Coon Rapids, Megan Schultze told her swimming coach, Doug Donaldson, that she wanted to set every swimming record at the school. Although he supported her, Donaldson knew it would take work, and possibly a long time, for her to achieve.

She met her goal by the end of her junior year.

Schultze now holds all 11 girls' swimming records at Coon Rapids. She's the only swimmer, male or female, to earn All-Conference honors six times. She's been named All-State three times. She was named an All-American in the 100-yard butterfly her junior year, and her times in the 200 individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke will qualify her for the honors this year. Her 200 IM time was the fastest in the state this season, and she swam the second-fastest 100 breaststroke time in Minnesota.

Oh, and she's a National Merit Scholar.

"You don't see a lot of National Merit Scholars that are also that good at something else," Donaldson said. "I don't know that Coon Rapids has ever had anybody that is at that level where they're that smart and that good at athletics."

Schultze, winner of the Star Tribune All-Metro Student First Award, started swimming around age 8. Her father had been a swimmer at Anoka, where his times are still among the school's top 10 times in the 100 breast and the 200 IM.

When she was about 10, Schultze started to get serious about swimming and setting goals for herself. She continued that way throughout her swimming career.

"I never think of myself like, 'Oh, I'm really good,' " Schultze said. "There's always something more I want to do."

Donaldson's first year as head coach coincided with Schultze's first on the team. He said he considers himself lucky to have coached an athlete with her talent and drive. Rather than attend the homecoming football game, Schultze and her teammates held a homecoming swim practice. When Donaldson questioned whether they really wanted to swim on the night of the game, the girls never wavered.

"We've both grown together in a lot of ways over the last six years," he said of Schultze. "She really pushed me to be a better coach."

Over her six years at Coon Rapids, she broke several records more than once. By the time she graduated, she had broken records 25 times.

Schultze was plenty busy between swimming for her Great Wolf Swim Club and high school teams. She planned ahead to ensure that school work didn't pile up, especially on weekends she had meets.

Schultze will continue swimming at Rice University in the fall. She plans to study physics and pursue a minor in math. She said she's looking forward to swimming with a new team and the opportunity to research with experienced faculty in labs at Rice.

"How many high school kids do you hear talking about college and saying, 'I'm really excited about the things on campus, the labs, the professors, the research?' " Donaldson said. "Her perspective on life is amazing."