By Raymond Keeler

Staff writer

Junior Allison Kenny has yet to lose a race this year in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle or the 200-yard individual medley, making her a resounding 15-0 this season.

Eastern’s women’s swim team is 5-2 and enjoying the fruits of a five-meet win steak after losing the first two matchups of the year.

The 50-yard and the 100-yard have become her specialty after seeing consistently solid results.

“I personally enjoy the 100 better because it doesn’t have to be as perfect as the 50. It’s the start and the turn,” Kenny said.

Not having a loss this season should make an athlete extraordinarily confident, but Kenny’s humility is evident in her reaction on being named Top Cat this week.

“I am happy,” Kenny said. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”

Kenny was a recruited as a walk-on to the swim team, and after a successful season in the eyes of her head coach Ray Padovan, Kenny was put on scholarship.

“Most people work with their natural ability, but she developed her talent where as others just live with it,” Padovan said. “She trains hard and is a tip-top student. Her background has gotten better since she’s been here. She’s an extremely talented athlete.”

Not expecting recognition after 15 wins isn’t something a lot of athletes can handle, but as a member of the swim team, Kenny upholds the team’s history of confidence.

“You have to have confidence, other wise you are not going to win the race,” Kenny said. “You have to have the mentality that you are going to go in it to win it. Other wise it’s not worth swimming.”

The 20-year-old York Community High School product from Elmhurst says swimming has been a part of her life for along as she can remember, and really couldn’t imagine doing anything else doing anything else. She has always been lured to the pool and competitive swimming.

“I have always liked it; I don’t know even know why,” Kenny said. “I’ve been swimming since the sixth grade. I swam when I was real little, but then I quit for awhile. I swam all the way through middle school and high school.”

She came to Eastern to swim at a competitive level and has been on the team since her freshman year. Kenny’s motivation for attending Eastern is similar to most of her teammates.

“I knew I would be able to swim here competitively, and also my parents liked it and I liked the campus,” she said.

One would think a leader in the pool would be a leader for the team, but the team doesn’t look at each other as leaders – there are captains, but it is the team that governs it’s actions, not the individual.

“We all put in the same effort and do the same work,” Kenny said.

Kenny and her teammates have watched the team progress from 0-2 to 5-2. Kenny knew the physical effort was there, but the team was lacking something intangible. She largely attributes this turn around to continued tough practice and the teams great work ethic.

“Before, we weren’t concentrated on the meet, but now we’re much more mentally into it,” Kenny said. “Now, everyone is so more motivated. We are concentrated on winning, and we are just more into in mentally.”

“I would hope to keep it up,” Kenny said. “If I reach my goal this year I would hope to surpass them by even more next year.”

As far as after college is concerned, Kenny knows swimming will always be a part of her life.

“I don’t know I will swim competitively [after college], but don’t think I ever will really give it up completely,” she said.