LAWRENCE HIGH SENIOR Marianne Klovning, a foreign exchange student from Norway, has emerged as one of the top swimmers on this year's LHS girls swimming and diving team.

Lawrence High’s 35-girl swim team has both talent and cultural diversity. Senior Marianne Klovning fits both categories.

A foreign exchange student from Nordfjordeid, Norway, Klovning has spent the year living with her host parents, Scott and Kathleen Morgan.

“I’m really impressed by the country,” Klovning said. “It’s so big and so different than what I’m used to.”

The freestyle specialist began swimming at the age of three or four and started competing at age 10. This year she has qualified for the Kansas state meet in the 200-meter medley relay, the 400 freestyle relay and the 200 freestyle relay.

She posted the necessary mark in the latter race March 30 against Shawnee Mission South, finishing in a time of 1 minute, 48.27 seconds with relay partners Elle Weber, Chelsea Dirks-Ham and Jessica Boyer.

Klovning hopes to follow suit by advancing to state in her other two events – the 50 and 100 freestyle.

What made you choose to come to the United States?

It’s all the variety. You have all kinds of culture and different kinds of people.

Describe the differences between U.S. and Norwegian swimming.

It’s not very popular. It’s a small sport (in Norway). We don’t have swimming at school. So we swim at swim team, and then it kind of gets a little more serious. Then we travel a lot more around the country.

What do you miss most about Norway?

I miss my friends and family the most.

On the flip side, what is the best thing about going to school at LHS and living in Lawrence?

The excitement of it. It’s so different and so much bigger. It’s a lot of fun at school. We go to games – different sports. It’s much more happening.

What skills have allowed you to become such a good swimmer?

I’m 5-10. : It’s good to be tall when you’re a swimmer. I’m able to focus really good on what I’m doing when I’m doing it.

How did you develop into a strong freestyle swimmer?

Butterfly – since I’m so tall – is kind of hard. And in Norway there were only four people on my swim team. So we needed one butterfly, one breaststroke, one backstroke and one freestyle. So it kind of became (my specialty.)

What attracted you to the sport of swimming?

I enjoy being in the water. I also enjoy to compete.

This year represents your first with the LHS swim team. Have you developed a cohesive bond with the other girls?

Yeah. Everybody’s cheering for each other. The team group is together. It’s a lot of fun when we go to meets not only because of the swimming but also because of the people.

Do you play any other sports?

In Norway I do a little skiing in the winters. I played tennis (for the Lions) in the fall.

What is on tap for next year?

I’m going back for my senior year of high school in Norway. : We have three (years) of junior high and then we have three years of high school, but we have seven of elementary school.

Will it be difficult to return to Norway at the end of the school year?

Yeah. I want to stay here much longer. I wish I could.