The UIW artistic swimming team demonstrated skill and determination during the USA Collegiate Artistic Swimming National Championships, obtaining the first national title.
In a historic win, UIW’s artistic swimming team (photo courtesy U.S.A. Artistic Swimming) brought home the University’s first national championship by taking first place at the USA Artistic Swimming Collegiate Championship held in Lewisville, Texas from March 22-23.
After months of training and preparation, UIW’s artistic swimming team demonstrated their exceptional level of skill and athleticism, competing against some of the best artistic swimming teams from across the nation.
Although the scores between the top two teams were tight, UIW pulled off the win with a total of 95 points, outdoing second place winner Stanford University who earned 92 points and third place winner Texas Women’s University with 69 points.
This remarkable achievement not only marks a significant milestone for the team, but it is also the first national championship team title for UIW Athletics.
“There’s a lot that people don’t know about the sport,” remarked Coach Alyson Haylor, UIW head artistic swimming coach. “The challenge of pushing your body to the absolute limit by having to stay in character during a performance and come up for those precious seconds where you are able to breathe.”
Haylor explained that artistic swimmers practice hundreds of hours for three minutes of perfection during their performance. The practice hours go beyond rehearsing a routine and perfecting their movements – the swimmers must also learn to place an immense amount of trust in one another to strengthen the quality of their performance.
«Today marks the culmination of the last two years of hard work under the guidance of Coach Hayler,» states Richard Duran, Athletics Director. «These exceptional student-athletes have excelled academically with UIW’s highest cumulative team GPA and have also made a significant impact in the community. Today, we proudly present our program as national champions in competition! I commend the entire program and thank them for representing UIW at the highest level.»
In addition, UIW Head Coach Alyson Haylor was named National Coach of the Year. Haylor became the head coach of the Cardinals’ artistic swimming program in 2022. She boasts an impressive personal track record, having competed twice in the United States Olympic Trials. Haylor’s arrival marked a significant turning point for the team, bringing in new strategies, motivation, and leadership. This accolade not only highlights Haylor’s individual achievements but also reflects the team’s progress and success under her guidance. With Haylor at the helm, the Cardinals have undoubtedly set a high standard for performance and excellence in their sport.
