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The Proctor-Hermantown girls swimming and diving team and Proctor-Esko boys swimming program are trying to bring one of the oldest pools in northeastern Minnesota into the modern competitive swimming era by installing an electronic timing system.
They should not have to spend another season without one.
Proctor's pool dates to 1937. Nearly 90 years later, according to a WDIO report this week, races there are still being timed by people standing alongside the pool with stopwatches. Fundraising coordinator Julia Wisehart told WDIO that Proctor is the only pool remaining in the Duluth-Superior area without an electronic timing system.
That is an obvious competitive and operational disadvantage.
These swimmers practice for months to shave tenths — sometimes hundredths — of a second from their times. They compete for personal records, section qualifying times, places in championship meets and the satisfaction of knowing exactly how much they have improved.
Electronic timing provides that information immediately and accurately.
It also reduces manual work for coaches and volunt eers, makes meet administration more efficient and allows results to be published electronically for swimmers, families and fans.
This is not a luxury item for an athletic program. It is basic competitive infrastructure. The swimmers understand what it would mean.
Eighth grader Maari Tapper told WDIO: “It would be really nice see your times, and know you got your PR, personal record. Or your split, seeing it, and knowing you need to pick up the pace a little bit.”
Swimming is one of the most precisely measured sports in high school athletics. A fraction of a second can separate places, personal records and qualifying times. The equipment measuring those performances should reflect that reality.
There is another important element to this fundraising effort. These programs represent cooperative high school athletics at their best. The girls program brings together swimmers from Proctor and Hermantown. The boys program includes Proctor and Esko. Athletes from different communities train together, compete together and share the same facility.
Megan Sweeney told WDIO the girls team has embraced that identity.
“We have a great group of girls,” Sweeney said. “We are a small, but mighty team.”
Zoe Amborn added: “We’ve got great leadership, great coaches, and amazing parents who cheer us on at each meet.”
Those athletes put in the same long hours as players in higher-profile sports, often without comparable attention or crowds. Their equipment should not be an afterthought.
The fundraising drive was reported to be about halfway to its goal this week, putting the project within realistic reach if supporters from Proctor, Hermantown, Esko and the broader swimming community contribute. No single donor has to carry the project. Community athletic projects are often completed through dozens or hundreds of modest contributions, along with support from local businesses and former athletes.
The online fundraiser for the Proctor-Hermantown girls swimming and diving program is available through Snap! Mobile:
https://raise.snap.app/donate/proctor-girls-swim-dive-2026
Checks may also be made payable to the Proctor Hermantown Girls Swim Team or Proctor Esko Boys Swim Team and mailed to:
Attn: Jon Nelson
Proctor High School Athletics
131 N. 9th Ave.
Proctor, MN 55810
The goal is straightforward: Raise enough money to purchase and install the system before next season. A pool that has served area swimmers since 1937 should continue serving them for years to come. The athletes competing in it today deserve timing equipment built for the sport they are competing in today.
