If Lindbergh swim and dive coach Roger Miron could pick the model athlete to join his team, he might just go with someone like junior Kaitlin Zinsli.

“It’s almost like she only has one speed,” Miron said. “She’s just an amazing athlete.”

Zinsli joined the team as a freshman with minimal experience. Miron said she could make it down the lane safely, and that was about it. But she caught on quickly.

“Depending on the event, we tell her how to swim it and she does it,” Miron said. “She listens to everything we say and has an amazing work ethic.”

That work came to fruiting Oct. 11 against Archbishop Murphy when Zinsli qualified for the 2A state meet in the 50-yard freestyle.

“That was pretty much my goal for the year,” she said. “I was really surprised, I didn’t really expect it. I’m definitely happy that it happened though.”

Miron said he told Zinsli to simply keep up with an Archbishop Murphy swimmer he knew was swimming at the state time.

“It’s a really big feeling of accomplishment that I came from not being able to swim very well to this,” she said. “But if I could drop more time, I’d be happy.”

Zinsli has qualified for districts in four events and hopes to also make state in the 100 free.

“For a girl to do that with no year-round experience is a big testament to her character and her work ethic,” Miron said.