Pennington Wins 50 Free Title at NCAA Championships By Steve Raczynski, Director of Sports Communications
THE ENTIRE EVENT IS DONE IN A FLASH.
In a 23 second span, excessive breathing is not an option. In fact, breathing at all may not be an option. There is no time to think, no time to strategize, no time to make a game plan. Just down and back. And then it’s over.
There are then 365 days for an individual to contemplate that 23 second experience; 365 days to feel either true disappointment or sheer exultation.
Fortunately for Springfield College sophomore Kellie Pennington, it will be a year of exultation.
On Wednesday, March 21, Pennington competed in the finals of the 50-yard freestyle at the 2012 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis, Ind.
It took her 23 ticks to win her first NCAA title, winning by nine one- hundredths of a second. For Springfield Head Swim Coach John Taffe, who just completed his 23rd year at Springfield College, it was also his first NCAA title. “When I touched the wall, I looked at my time first, then my place,” says Pennington. “When I saw I had won, it was really exciting. Remember, in this event last year as a first year, I hadn’t even made it to the finals.”
It’s true. You can watch it on the video. When Kellie “touched,” she turned to look at the clock. “The first thing I look for is my time,” she says. “It’s only then that I look to see what place I finished.” Her reaction is a little delayed; It took a moment to realize she was a national champion.
“I’m so proud of Kellie, says Taffe.
”This really is a product of her hard work. She is a tough competitor who did not let all the distractions out here get to her. She was deter- mined from a year ago, and knew that she could compete on this level.”
“Last year, I ended on a bad note,” says Pennington, a physical education major from Monson, Mass. “That disappointment stayed with me all year and added to my motivation during the summer and the whole season.”
“One of the biggest attributes for her this year was the experience she gained last year,” says Taffe. “She knew she could compete more than favorably.”
It helped her confidence to know that she was seeded first in this event coming into the race. “Kellie is the type of person who displays a lot of confidence,” says her father Jim, head coach of Springfield College women’s cross country and women’s indoor and outdoor track. “She is also a very humble person.
“She does not believe in taking it easy,” adds Jim, who was in attendance. “As I watched her, I knew she was giving it her all. It was exactly what I expected. My wife and I are so proud of her.” Kellie scored a lot of points for her team at these championships. Springfield College placed 12th as a team with 92 points. Besides her title in the 50-yard freestyle, she also placed seventh in the 100-yard butterfly and second in the 100-yard freestyle. “Kellie always has a positive outlook,” says her father. “I can already tell you her goal will be to win both the 50 AND the 100 freestyles next year.”1
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TRIANGLE 1 Vol. 83, No. 3
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