Bradley Tyler Jones, Sports Editor
Sophie Yanoshik (C ‘25), captain of Sewanee’s women’s swim team, calls on the same joking mantra with every practice: Just keep swimming. Regardless of the cheesy phrase, that’s simply what the Sewanee swim team does. No matter what they have going on, each person dedicates abundant time to the team, unfailing in their high work ethic. This is all possible because of team leadership.
Both teammates and their coach say the team’s five seniors have proven persistent in their leadership roles even as their Sewanee athletic careers have been split between two coaches.Current swim coach, Mark Fino, started last year. In his eyes, Rachel Little (C ‘25) is “caring,” Katie Walker (C ‘25) is “brave,” Aurelia Willet (C ‘25) is “strong,” Mary-Louise LeMieux (C’25) is “fierce,” and Sophie Yanoshik (C ‘25) is “passionate.”
Each of these descriptions depicts these girls not only as athletes but also as members of the University community. Fino told me that this combination of strong individuals made it even more important for him to build a team environment. Their teammates agree that each senior’s unique qualities bring everyone together. As Audrey Francell (C ‘26) puts it, “The team we have been building for the last two years is strong, capable, and passionate about our sport. I have watched each of the seniors grow as swimmers and as people, navigating life and swimming…Three years ago, these people were strangers to me. They soon became people I looked up to and after many practices, team dinners, meets, and training trips later they soon became some of my closest friends.”
Fino emphasizes the importance of being fully committed not only for personal growth, but for the team. He looks for this especially in each practice, lift, and team bonding exercise. He sees similar leadership qualities and commitments in the seniors:
“Leadership is integrity. Doing what you say you’re going to do,” he said. “In the heavy lifting development of this team, it would be rather easy to walk away, but they stuck with it, and put in a special effort this year to build the team and make everyone better.”
Although Fino was not their coach their freshman year, he believes they have grown in confidence. He said he can easily notice the upward shift in maturity.
When asked what they would tell their freshman-year selves now, Yanoshik and Little said a combination of “believe in yourself” and “take advantage of every day.” They agree that four years of college, especially as athletes, go by incredibly fast and they are thankful for every opportunity. When asked if the Sewanee swim team was what they expected going into it, though, they paused for a while.
They weren’t sure how, exactly, to answer that question. Yanoshik then said, “No. Each year continues to surprise me. I didn’t expect the community on the team to be so strong, and we grow every year.” Little added, “I would say both yes and no. I was very used to the rigorous amount of work that goes into being a swimmer, but I did not know what all balancing swimming with a college lifestyle would entail.”
It’s safe to say that these girls learned to balance, and through this necessary life skill, they consistently succeed and bring pride to Sewanee’s athletic reputation. Diver Katie Walker achieved her fifth SAA Honors on January 20, and Sewanee’s team beat both Berry and UT Southern last semester. All the swimmers and divers are eager in practice, and prepared to do well in Conference.
The seniors have achieved success beyond the pool, though. They have influenced the lowerclassmen and rising seniors. Francell shared her perspective on the senior class, why she will miss them dearly, and how she plans to fill their footsteps by saying, “I think that to lead a team, one must be able to make choices that benefit the team as a whole rather than on an individual level. One must be selfless and willing to work with others while bridging the gap between coaches and athletes. The most crucial factor that I’ve seen this year that I want to incorporate when I am a senior is growing personal relationships within the team that stem further than just the pool deck.”
The team would most likely agree with Fino’s final statement “We have fun, we enjoy each other, and we enjoy the sport.”