February 2023
The IWU women’s swim and dive team finished second in the Mid-South Conference Championships last weekend in Kingsport, Tennessee.
“We had a great weekend,” Wildcats’ head coach Emily Vermilya said. “I was really impressed with how we came into the morning session and positioned ourselves well to score at the end of the day.”
Junior Olivia Cummins qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the 100-yard backstroke, joining fellow junior Megan Carroll, who already qualified in the one-meter dive on IWU’s senior day.
The national bids were not the only notable accomplishments, as four school records were broken over the course of the three-day meet.
“It was fun to see how we’ve grown in (our focus this season) and then this weekend to see where a lot of (the girls) started to see those big gains that they’ve been progressively working towards all season,” Vermilya said.
Freshman Katie McKay said that the team’s success is a result of their togetherness outside of competition.
“The girls are great. They’re just so encouraging,” McKay said. “It’s like a sisterhood. I love it.”
Senior and three-time All-American Livi Bell has been a major contributor in the team’s success over her time in the program.
“What makes us so special is that our team is very centered around Christ,” Bell said. “When we’re all together, we’re able to connect as a team and everyone is friends with everyone, and I think that mostly comes from our Christ-centered environment.”
This year’s team had a special bond under the senior leadership of Bell and twins Kinsey and Khloē Price.
“This group (of seniors) has made a big investment in terms of the team culture, and we’ll definitely miss them for that,” Vermilya said.
National qualifiers Cummins and Carroll, along with a few other potential call ups, will be competing March 1-4 in Columbus, Georgia, for the NAIA National Championships.