S
wam in three individual events and three relays in Birmingham.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
York graduate Shannon Sullivan had plenty of success at the high-school level as a three-time state qualifier.
She’s continued that at the collegiate level. Sullivan, a senior at Lewis University in Romeoville, swam in the recent NCAA Division II finals meet held in Birmingham, Ala.
Sullivan swam in the 200 freestyle where she had a time of 1:57.97 and also logged a time of 5:05.60 in the 500 freestyle. She did not qualify for finals in either event. Sullivan was selected to compete in the 200 at nationals after swimming a season- and career-best 1:51.20 earlier in the season.
Sullivan also was part of the 200 free relay team that finished prelims with a time of 1:35.58 and the 800 free relay team that finished 23rd with a time of 7:36.94.
On the fourth day of the event, Sullivan placed 36th in the 100 with a time of 51.75 and was part of the Lewis 400 relay team that tied for 21st with a time of 3:28.54.
Sullivan credits her improvement in the 200 to the coaching she’s received at Lewis. “I’ve had different coaching and it’s a different style that’s helped me,” she said. “Our grad assistant (Mona Groteguth) has been with us for two years and things fell into place and took off from there. She’s helped me get to where I am. Things have clicked with her.”
Sullivan said she hasn’t changed much in the way of her 500 race. “I haven’t been able to get down to the time I was at freshman year,” she said. “I’m about five seconds off my best time. With the 500, it’s just fun to swim it.”
And in the 100, Sullivan cites improvement in numerous parts of that race. “I’m having a better reaction time off the blocks and I have a better stroke rate and my under-waters are better,” she said. “My coach has helped me out a lot with the 100 and 200, knowing what I need to do in and out of the pool.”
This was Sullivan’s first foray into the NCAA Division II nationals. “It’s exciting and amazing to be here,” she said last week from Birmingham. “It’s awesome because we have three other seniors and a freshman and it’s all their first time so that makes it that much more special when you are at something like that with your teammates. My teammates are the thing that sticks out about this team. We’ve all been through a lot together the last four years and they have been by my side through thick and thin. They have made the last four years something I won’t forget.”
Sullivan, a CSCAA honorable-mention scholar All-American last year, is majoring in marketing with a minor in social media marketing. In addition to enjoying her time in the pool at Lewis, she also raves about the academic part of things.
“It’s really good at Lewis,” she said. “I love my professors and the classes are very small. If you are struggling with your classes, the professors always are there to support you. Throughout my swim career and same with academics, everything has been awesome.”
Sullivan, who also coaches with the Bullets Academy swim club out of Romeoville, admits as a student at York she wouldn’t have imagined being in an NCAA finals meet a few years later.
“I had always hoped for something like this but you never know if you are going to have a good enough season or not,” she said. “I hoped for the best and here I am. I’m super-ecstatic.”
