The Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame will induct 25 former swimmers, divers, coaches and other special contributors in 2011. My coverage of that recent announcement touched on whether former YHS standout Kelsi Hall will someday become a member of the HOF. But there's another former Tiger whose career presents an equally compelling case for induction--Maggie Bird.
Simply put, no one better exemplifies what Yorktown swimming was and is all about. Her name is synonymous with the sport at YHS; during her four years competing for former Coach J Agnew, Maggie won three IHSAA state championships (200 yard Free in 2005, 200 yard Free in 2006, and 500 yard Free in 2006). Her initial title in 2005 was the first individual IHSAA state championship ever won in any sport by a female athlete from Yorktown High School.
Bird also won 9 IHSAA sectional titles and 16 Hoosier Heritage Conference championships during her high school career. The National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) named Maggie an
All-American 14 times, and an Academic All-American at the conclusion of her senior season in 2006.
Maggie Bird went on to swim with distinction for the Auburn University Tigers for four years, becoming an eight time All-American, winning two individual Southeastern Conference championships (1,650 yard Free and 500 yard Free), and setting an AU school record. She also represented the United States at the 2008 FINA World Short Course Championships in Manchester, England.
It would only be fitting if the next HOF induction class included the greatest all-around competitor in Yorktown swimming history, Maggie Bird.
GO TIGERS!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment