Mt. Lebanon swimmer commits to Alabama
Kathyrn Nicholson committed to the University of Alabama.
Kathryn Nicholson is expected to be one of the top sprinters in the WPIAL this winter.
Kathryn Nicholson of Mt. Lebanon is already qualified for Juniors Nationals. She is expected to be one of the top sprinters this season.
For Kathryn Nicholson, hope is a four-letter word. It won’t be found in the Mt. Lebanon swimmer’s vocabulary.
“Hope is a bad tactic in swimming,” Nicholson said. “You prepare each day so much that you are ready for anything and don’t leave it up to chance. If you are prepared, then everything else will take care of itself and go right.”
Things have already gone right for Nicholson. During the pre-season signing period, Nicholson inked her signature on a national Letter of Intent, accepting a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama. In addition to the Crimson Tide, there was interest in the freestyle specialist from Penn State, West Virginia and South Carolina.
For “a lot of reasons” Nicholson said that she selected Alabama. Dennis Pursley coaches the Crimson Tide. He has coached the likes of Mary T. Meagher, known as “Madam Butterfly” and a world-record holder for decades. In addition, he has been the first USA Swimming National Team Director and helped the country’s Olympic-medal count skyrocket.
“The coaches at Alabama are the best in the country and our staff her at Mt. Lebanon is great so I couldn’t imagine going anywhere with less than the best,” Nicholson said. “Plus, it’s a big school and since I don’t really know what I want to be doing in life, maybe something in business,” she added, “having a lot of options is important to me.”
At age 5, Nicholson discovered her best option to excel athletically was in the pool. At that time, she spent hours watching her older sister, Rosemary, 20, practice in the pool. But, Nicholson couldn’t sit still for very long.
“I’m a handful,” admitted the 17-year-old daughter of Mike Nicholson. “Always running around doing something. My folks thought swimming would wear me out so they shoved me into the water and hoped for the best.”
Nicholson is the best. She is expected to be among the top sprinters in the WPIAL this winter. She holds or shares several school, club and pool records and has already registered her Junior Nationals cut time in the 50 free. She anticipates getting the marks for the 100 free this season.
“The WPIAL always has strong sprint freestylers,” Nicholson said, “but I expect to be at the top. I don’t look at other people. I try to focus on what I have to do.”
Because she missed last year’s championships, Nicholson hopes to make up for lost time. She had fallen ill the night before the WPIAL finals, likely due to a concussion she had suffered earlier from falling down a flight of steps.
“To train all season and not be able to perform was disappointing,” she said. “But it was fun to see the team do well,” she added of Lebo’s runner-up showing in the WPIAL.
Nicholson likely would have done well because as a sophomore she swam her best time, 23.67, in the 50-yard freestyle. Some of her other top times are 52.15 for the 100 and 1:54.80 for the 200. Her top meter times are 27.99 for the 50 and 59.88 for the 100 free. Additionally, Nicholson had also helped Lebo medal in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays at both the district and state level. She also swam the breaststroke leg in the team’s successful medley relay.
“Kathryn is a very talented young lady,” Lebo coach Tom Donati said. “She should be one of the best sprinters in the state this year. At the very least the WPIAL. She loves to sprint.”
For simple reasons, Nicholson embraces sprinting.
“Because it’s quick,” she said. “I like to go fast. Plus, I get distracted doing longer races.”
When Nicholson races, there is no margin for error. A 50-free race is a flat, out-and-back adventure.
“I don’t know if there ever is a perfect race in swimming but if you are prepared then you can overcome a bad start or a bad turn but everything in the 50 has to go right. So, I like to look at my training as preparation for anything.”
Nicholson wants more than anything to help the Blue Devils reach the pinnacle in swimming this season. Her goals have the team in mind.
“I want our team to do well at WPIALs,” she said. “We have a shot at winning it. I want to be on relays and do my best to help the team. Personally, the goals are always to drop time and do your best.”
Donati is certain Nicholson will do her best long into the future.
“She has a lot of potential,” he said. “Alabama is a great fit for her because those guys have worked with the worlds best sprinters in their past. They obvious see something in Kathryn that made them come after her. This is a why they are so good,” he added.