TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - All the hours, all the early mornings, all the afternoon practices, all the times staring at the black line at the bottom of the pool come to a culmination for Indiana State seniors Marni Gray, Molly Fogarty, and Rhiannon Wozny next week as the Sycamores travel to Iowa City, Iowa for the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.
 
The journey to the championships has been the culmination of a lifetime in the pool, fun with friends and teammates, a lot of hard work, and overcoming adversity along the way.
 
"I'm really excited for conference," Gray said. "The team has been looking really good this year and we've been training really well. I'm just really excited to watch it all come together. The conference looks a little different this year with a few more teams added, but I'm excited and we're going to bring the energy."
 
Bringing the energy is a common theme for the Sycamores as ISU has been well-known for their props, dancing, and general excitement as the team cheers and supports each other on the pool deck.
 
"I honestly thing we swim our fastest when we're relaxed and having fun," Fogarty said. "We can be goofing around on the pool deck, but we're still serious under all of that and there to compete, race, and swim fast. We pride ourselves in our energy and support for anyone in the water. Having those props, pompoms, cowgirl hats, wearing blue and showing Sycamore pride is what we want to do on the deck and it translates into what we're swimming for in the pool."
 
Wozny agreed, "We definitely like to keep pour minds a little distracted at conference and find that dancing, singing, having fun, and then getting down to business when the time has come has really helped us in the past. We're very confident in what we do and having that atmosphere of joking and laughing, having fun has helped to make it better."
 
The Sycamores boast one of the deepest rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference this season and appear to be peaking at the right time entering the conference championships having won their last four dual meets, while also setting several records in their last team meet at the Tim Welsh Classic.
 
The successes of the team this year reflect the growth that head coach Josh Christensen has seen in the development and leadership of his senior class.
 
"This year has been great," he said. "This is probably the best year I've had as a coach in terms of team culture and team leadership. It's a diverse group, diverse personalities and perspectives, but they've all worked together really well in supplying the things we've needed as a team. They've done a great job providing maturity and leadership to the team and it has really shown this year with their investment into the program."
 
The 2023 senior class has nearly seen it all over their time with the Sycamores. Throughout their time they have seen a variety of physical injuries and ailments, time away from the pool due to COVID, and other areas that have impacted their collegiate careers.
 
However, the class's resilience and determination to build something special at ISU has Christensen excited about the future.
 
"Overcoming adversity has been a big part of this senior class," he said. "I really think they have bought into the investment of becoming leaders and building this program through establishing traditions and the culture here at ISU. This group was a part of my first recruiting class; they were the first athletes we were selling the vision on what we wanted this program to be about, and they have been huge in getting us to where we are at right now."
 
The team culture was something Gray, Fogarty, and Wozny all mentioned when they discussed the impact the program has had for them both in and out of the pool.
 
"I can't even describe it," Gray said. "Not only do you meet your lifelong best friends on the team, but you know you always have people that are going to support you no matter what. They are going to be there for you because they know how hard it is being a student-athlete and being a Division I athlete."
 
Fogarty agreed, "Our culture here is fantastic. We just try to have fun in what we do, but every athlete here is serious and has the same goal in mind. I think we have 35 here on the roster – that's a lot of women all working hard and knowing what it takes. There's a huge sense of community and sisterhood on this roster and that's what drew me here."
 
"Being a part of this program has honestly had a major impact on my life," Wozny added. "It's been a family away from home which has meant a lot to me. It's been about helping people succeed and providing them a place and supporting in any way possible. The coaches and team here invest in you in more than just being a swimmer and you're not just defined purely by your times on the clock or what you've accomplished in the water."
 
Building the culture starts from the top and the Sycamores have one of the best in Christensen. All three athletes were a part of Christensen's initial recruiting class here at Indiana State and they credit his ability to create a strong bond within the team as a key role in joining the Sycamores.
 
"I was actually being recruited by Josh when he was at Fresno Pacific," Fogarty said. "When he was hired here at ISU there was a transitional period where I didn't hear from him, but one day he called me and said being here would be a better fit for me and it was Division I. I was able to come down for a visit my senior year and just the entire trip, the team atmosphere, and the welcoming of the girls was great and sold me that this was a place I wanted to be."
 
Wozny mentioned the same, "My junior year I was actually being recruited by Rose-Hulman, but then my family moved to North Carolina. After we moved, I didn't really have any plans on where to go and was looking really all over the country. However, Josh called and invited me up on a visit. I was hosted by Kerry (Tepe) and Megan (Schade) and the entire trip really felt like I was joining my family. The entire trip made me fall in love with the community and family aspect here."
 
Gray's recruiting process started like many on the swimming scene as she uploaded her times onto College Swimming.
 
"I was getting emails from schools but wasn't hugely involved in everything and didn't know exactly where I wanted to go to school," she admitted. "I was swimming club with Andrea Putrimas and we both received an email from Josh inviting us to come for a visit. We ended up falling in love with the team, in love with the facilities, and just really loved the culture and how it embraced us."
 
All three athletes have seen success in the water over their time at Indiana State. Gray is the program record holder in both the 50 and the 100 Butterfly while also setting the second-fastest time in the 200. Fogarty is in the top-10 in the 500, 1000, and 1650 Freestyle events as well as the 400 IM, while Wozny sits among ISU's leaders in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 Free.
 
Their successes have driven them to accomplish even more this year with the internal drive and motivation to make their mark on the program and in conference.
 
"I like competing and I like racing, especially when your team is all there motivating you," Gray said. "Going into this year I wanted to go a 53 in the 100-yard Fly and break two minutes in the 200 Fly which are basically the two goals I had. I just really want to be able to keep those times going. Positions don't really matter to me – I want to be the best person I can be in and outside the pool for my team." 
 
Wozny added, "I've been focused on getting back to where I was after battling some health issues. Some of my individual goals this season have been making it to the top-16 in scoring and going under five minutes in the 500 and as close to 17 minutes in the mile. We really want to win conference and our confidence level and energy we are bringing is better than it was last year."
 
One of the iconic photos from the 2022 MVC Championships was Fogarty celebrating in the pool following winning her heat and setting a personal record in the 1650-yard Freestyle.
 
"That was such a great feeling," Fogarty laughed. "Honestly, I would love to be able to finish off this year with a great conference in all my events. However, I'm finishing off this season proud of what I've done and the accomplishments I've made over my four years. When you look back at your legacy with the program, you want to be about working hard and having a great work ethic. Everything I did and we did was for the team, the program, the girls, and the symbol on my cap."
 
Graduation is also something that is on the mind for all three seniors as they look ahead to the remainder of the semester.
 
Wozny already has a job lined up courtesy of her internship over the summer. "I'm majoring in architectural engineering technology and construction management with a minor in interior architectural design. I've already accepted a position with a general contractor back in Charlotte working with a healthcare specialty as a project engineer working on projects such as with a hospital, cancer institutes and others seeing projects through from start to finish. I loved my time with them this summer, love the team, and I'm excited and looking forward to it."
 
Gray has parlayed a love of the TV show Criminal Minds into a criminology and psychology double-major. "I've been applying to graduate schools and have had a couple of interviews already. I'm just kind of waiting to see what falls into place."
 
Fogarty's love of science has led her to the medical field. "I'm pursuing a biology degree with a minor in chemistry. I won't lie, I'm excited to be done with that! It has been four years of hard work and I'm proud of all I've been able to accomplish there. I'm hoping to eventually apply and get accepted into medical school somewhere in Canada."
 
Although they will graduate, their love of the sport will continue the rest of their life. However, there may be a brief respite between getting back into the water.
 
"I think I will take a little break because it's been such a big part of my life for 17 years," Gray said. "I think my body and my mind will need a little bit of a break, but I still want to go to the weights with the team and keep up some kind of fitness. I'll definitely get back into the pool at least a couple of times a week recreationally.
 
"I definitely think I'll still be involved in swimming," Wozny said. "I don't know if I'll swim right away and not 8,000 yards daily at least! However, I will hop back into the pool. I currently coach club here in Terre Haute and will be involved with my team back home because I love teaching the little ones and love their journeys. Swimming will definitely play a major role in my life."
 
Coaching is also an aspect Fogarty wants to get involved with moving forward. "I for sure don't want to lose any connection with the sport. It has been such a big part of my life and I'm hoping to coach and stay connected. I have a lot of experience over my career that I've love to be able to pass down to younger swimmers to help see how far they can go."
 
Heading into the championships, there were some people the athletes wanted to thank for their support along the way.
 
"I cannot thank my parents enough," Gray said. "They got me into the sport and supported me my entire life. Both my parents had different roles with my dad being the swim parent taking me everywhere, while my mom had an approach where she focused on the fun aspect and making sure I was happy. Definitely want to thank my parents and coaches, as well as my coaches that grew up with me and helped me find my love for this sport."
 
The support of family also was key for Fogarty, "I definitely want to thank my mom and my dad. They have been the driving force behind everything in supporting me in every way possible. My coaches, Josh, Chris (Bals), Nikki (Finnesand), and especially Myanna (Cook) who has been really big in helping us distance girls in practice over the last two years. I also want to shout out the team all four of my years here and the people that have been so supportive to drive me to go to the pool and work hard every day."
 
Wozny also talked about the support of her family, especially the relationship she has with her mother in the water. "I definitely want to thank my mom and my dad. Mom was my coach my first two years in high school and she helped me realize a lot more of my potential than I really knew. I also want to thank Coach Melissa (Giesen) from my freshman year on helping me find my place on the team and learning to love swimming again and what it means to me."
 
As they prepare for one of their final swims in the Sycamore Blue and White, all three athletes have look ahead to their teammates continuing to build off the foundation that has been laid by the senior class.
 
"It's a really cool feeling being able to see the team progress as it has," Gray said. "I think this is our seventh year in the program and I can't wait for the new generation of swimmers to come up through the program, break our records, and get their names up on the board."
 
Wozny added, "I think the best part about this team is being a part of a family away from home. We focus on letting people know they are more than just the times on the board. It's about building the relationships with the team, helping people, and having fun, and building leadership, communication skills, and other values I will never forget."
 
"Looking back at the dedication we've put in this program, I just want to help remind the team to have fun and keep the energy going," Fogarty said. "We have been very successful and want to keep working hard, support everyone in the water, and give it our all every time we compete.
 
The Sycamores travel to the 2023 MVC Swimming and Diving Championships on February 15-18 held at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City, Iowa. Live results will be available via Meet Mobile.
 
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