One is the cool, calm junior that leads with example, hopping quietly into the pool and doing her job. It's something she does so well, that she's well on her way to racking up more state championship titles than any girls' swimmer in West Fargo history.

The other is a freshman that the coach dubs the team's ";spark"; plug. She's motivated, focused and ready with a cheer when the team needs it. Plus, she, too is talented enough that she's a rising force in the pool, and already has two state championships under her belt on the relay side.

Kelsey Schoonhoven and Ashley Retier are quite a bit different, but each is essential for Marsha Dahl's West Fargo Packer girls' swim team to continue its newfound success.

";Any coach in the state would love to have them on their squad,"; Dahl said. ";I'm very lucky. Last year, I was just kind of handed a relay team that comes along once in a great while. Those two, with Ashley (Reiter) and Elise (Stromsvik), were special. They came very close to the state record, and probably would have had it if the state meet was in Grand Forks, because UND has a faster pool than Mandan.";

With Reiter off to college and Stromsvik back in her native Norway, the search is on to find the next couple to complete the foursome. West Fargo was tops in both the 200-yard medley relay at state and EDC. They repeated that feat in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Schoonhoven now has three state championships by herself, and is looking to add more. As a freshman, she tallied blue ribbons in both the 100-yard backstroke and the 100 freestyle. She was upset in the freestyle event, but cruised to her second consecutive title in the backstroke. She's on a path to keep up her dominance in the event, as evidenced by a successful summer on the club circuit.

";She placed at the Minnesota regional, where she got 12th, which is a big deal. And I know that she won a couple of the zone meets, which are a little bit smaller but just as competitive. She's on track. She's just a tremendous talent. What we'd like to see from her, and I think as she's maturing she's doing this a little bit more, is the ability to lead. If she can be a little more vocal with some of the younger swimmers and help us bring them along, that's a big plus for our team.";

That's something that Reiter, only a freshman herself, has no problem doing, Dahl said. The youngster has been a vocal leader since she joined the varsity team in seventh grade.

";She's right there when you need her. It's something that just comes easy for her, which is great. She's one of those type of people. And she's got the talent to go with it.";

Dahl said there's plenty of help to keep the Packers competitive in the EDC, where they finished second last season. Megan Brennan is a freshman who ";really came along in her swims last season,"; Dahl said. Emily Baasch placed at the state meet in the diving pool, an the sophomore was third in the regional meet last year. She'll be joined by Ashley Lettenmeier, who also placed at EDC.

Tracy Olson, a senior, is a sprinter Dahl said could fit in well as a relay team member. The key will be her consistency, the coach said.

";She filled in when Andrea (Flaten) was hurt and did very well. We didn't miss a beat. But sometimes she has these great swims, and other times she comes out flat. If she can step it up, she could fit into that puzzle.";

Another exchange student could step in to help the Packers. Anna Bongiorno, who is an Italian exchange student, tried the diving pool first, since she's an experienced cliff diver. But Dahl said she also has swimming experience, and is trying a couple of different events.

";You can see that she's spent some time in the pool, too,"; Dahl said. ";She's not just a diver. So she might give us a boost.";

Dahl said she's looking forward to kicking off the regular season after an off-season that saw some controversy surrounding the swimming program. In March, Dahl was briefly relieved of her duties by West Fargo Superintendent Chuck Cheney as the manager of Berger Pool, while activities director Curt Jones said the decision was hers as to whether or not to remain head coach of the boys' and girls' swim teams. But after some deliberation, Cheney decided to place Dahl on probation, and he has left her in charge of the facility.

";It's all behind us,"; Dahl said. ";I'm looking forward to getting into my school-year routine.";

The Packers start the season at home at L.E. Berger Pool with a triangular meet against Grand Forks Red River and Grand Forks Central. Dahl said she sees Central as a frontrunner in the race for the regional crown, with Fargo North not too far behind.

";If we can get third and hang on to that, maybe climb up, we'd be happy,"; Dahl said. ";We're young in some areas, so this a team that's going to have to get better with each meet, and hopefully drop time throughout the year. If we're having our best swims at the end of the season, some good things could happen.";

The Packers will square off with the two Grand Forks schools at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. Berger Pool is located just west of the school on Fourth Avenue East.