BEMIDJI – When the Bemidji High School girls swimming and diving team looked to replace long-time head coach Woody Leindecker, the program turned to not one, but two solutions: Danielle Bartz and Lisa Friedt. The duo is tag teaming the head coaching role for the Lumberjacks, and Tuesday evening’s season-opening meet against Brainerd was their first competition in that co-leadership role. “It went great,” Friedt said.
“We juggled all the things that came at us.” Bartz and Friedt were well prepared for this start to the season. The two are very familiar with BHS swimming, boasting a good amount of coaching experience with the program before ascending to the top leadership roles on the girls side.
Friedt was an assistant coach with the boys team last winter and has been working with the club program, the Bemidji Area Super Swimmers. She also has two daughters on the team – Anna and Quinn Friedt. Bartz coached the girls with Leindecker in each of the previous two seasons.
Before that, she was coaching middle school boys swimming. The duo were named co-head coaches in May when Leindecker stepped down from the girls team. Over the summer, Bartz and Friedt kept in touch, keen to ensure a strong partnership for the swimmers.
“I feel like it’s been an easy transition, Lisa’s been wonderful (to work) with,” Bartz said. “The communication is awesome. If I’m not thinking of something, she’s thinking of everything.
” They are bound to put their own stamp on th.