The winter sports have kicked off here at North Star, the sports include boys and girls basketball, bowling, wrestling, along with swimming and diving. This year the North Star swim team will be led by a new face, Becky Mantonya. Mantonya is a swim specialist who is eager to lead the gator swimmers to success.

Mantonya has vast coaching experience when it comes to swimming. She’s coached various swim teams in the past including the Highlands Park and Recreation Summer team, the YMCA Dolphins, Nebraska Aquatics, and the Greater Nebraska swim team. She currently coaches the Summer and Master Swim teams at the Fallbrook YMCA and now the North Star swim team as well. She states “I wanted to be North Star’s swim coach because I have always loved swimming and coaching.” Mantonya has two older children who swam at Southeast but claims she has always wanted to be a part of North Star’s swimming program. She has loved watching them over the years and has always wanted to be a part of their program.

So far the North Star swim team is off to a great start with Mantonya leading the way. They won their first meet against Lincoln Northwest and Omaha Northwest. Coaching alongside Mantonya is her assistant coach Rebecca Bristol. Rebecca was a former swimmer of Mantonya’s in the past and is so excited to be coaching with her now. So far Mantonya has enjoyed getting to know all of the swimmers and enjoys helping them improve. 

As the season continues Mantonya looks forward to watching the swimmers grow and learn as athletes. She’s also excited to see how they develop as a team in the pool and in life. So keep an eye out for our North Star swim team as they continue on this season. As well as keep an eye out for Mantonya in the classroom as she will be starting in January as a full time ELL teacher at North Star after teaching in elementary for 29 years.