Eastern Michigan Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Claire Young, Swimming
5/19/2020 3:00:00 PM | Swimming & Diving, General
EMU Athletics will recognize and share stories of the Class of 2020
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Finishing a decorated career as a member of the Eastern Michigan University swimming and diving team, Claire Young (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.-Grosse Pointe South) leaves the program with 27 individual event wins and holding three times on the program's all-time top-10 list.
A three-time Second Team All-Mid-American Conference selection as well as a 2020 First Team All-MAC selection, Young secured her standing on the 100 backstroke list with a fourth-place, 53.19 showing at the 2019 MAC Championships. In 2020, Young solidified her spots on the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley lists, finishing runner-up in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:55.34 and fourth in the 200 individual medley with a 2:00.74 mark.
In 2019, the Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. native became the first Eagle to compete in the 50 and 100 backstroke events at the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships, finishing second and fifth overall, respectively.
Summing up her experience at Eastern Michigan, the senior had one thing to say: "Thank you." She continued, "I don't know how many times I can say this but it will never be enough. Thank you to my parents for sending me to swim lessons when I was a baby where I first learned of my love for the water. Thank you for your support, for driving me to every practice, coming to every meet that you could, and even being there for my last swim. Thank you to the many coaches who over the years taught me not just to swim, but how to manage my time wisely, to be kind to those around me, and to give my all especially to something that I love so much. Thank you to John Fodell, who is the kindest teddy bear anyone will ever meet, for being the most understanding, innovative, and supportive coach I could ever ask for. Thank you to Peter Linn and Tracy Martin for recruiting me and bringing me into an amazing program with such a successful history and always pushing me to be my best in and out of the pool. Thank you to Christian Hanselmann, Derick Roe, Justin Shields for your ability to keep me going in the hardest sets with your jokes and dancing on the pool deck. Thank you Derek Perkins and Maddie Tretter for coming in my senior year and making it unforgettable with your new ideas and amazingly positive attitudes. Thank you to my teammates over the years for standing, or swimming, by me through the ups and the downs. Thank you for the fun times at practice, meets, and the weight room, the after-banquet bonfires, fun day Thursdays, donut Saturdays at the park at 5 a.m., and that last practice at training trip. Thank you to my senior buddies for sticking this out with me so we could all experience this rollercoaster of a ride that we called these 4 years at EMU together. And finally thank you to the sport that even though it was a love-hate relationship, I would not change a single thing that has happened over the past 15 years. Thank you."
Young has also been named to the Academic All-MAC team three times, and graduated in April with a degree in exercise science.
A three-time Second Team All-Mid-American Conference selection as well as a 2020 First Team All-MAC selection, Young secured her standing on the 100 backstroke list with a fourth-place, 53.19 showing at the 2019 MAC Championships. In 2020, Young solidified her spots on the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley lists, finishing runner-up in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:55.34 and fourth in the 200 individual medley with a 2:00.74 mark.
In 2019, the Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. native became the first Eagle to compete in the 50 and 100 backstroke events at the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships, finishing second and fifth overall, respectively.
Summing up her experience at Eastern Michigan, the senior had one thing to say: "Thank you." She continued, "I don't know how many times I can say this but it will never be enough. Thank you to my parents for sending me to swim lessons when I was a baby where I first learned of my love for the water. Thank you for your support, for driving me to every practice, coming to every meet that you could, and even being there for my last swim. Thank you to the many coaches who over the years taught me not just to swim, but how to manage my time wisely, to be kind to those around me, and to give my all especially to something that I love so much. Thank you to John Fodell, who is the kindest teddy bear anyone will ever meet, for being the most understanding, innovative, and supportive coach I could ever ask for. Thank you to Peter Linn and Tracy Martin for recruiting me and bringing me into an amazing program with such a successful history and always pushing me to be my best in and out of the pool. Thank you to Christian Hanselmann, Derick Roe, Justin Shields for your ability to keep me going in the hardest sets with your jokes and dancing on the pool deck. Thank you Derek Perkins and Maddie Tretter for coming in my senior year and making it unforgettable with your new ideas and amazingly positive attitudes. Thank you to my teammates over the years for standing, or swimming, by me through the ups and the downs. Thank you for the fun times at practice, meets, and the weight room, the after-banquet bonfires, fun day Thursdays, donut Saturdays at the park at 5 a.m., and that last practice at training trip. Thank you to my senior buddies for sticking this out with me so we could all experience this rollercoaster of a ride that we called these 4 years at EMU together. And finally thank you to the sport that even though it was a love-hate relationship, I would not change a single thing that has happened over the past 15 years. Thank you."
Young has also been named to the Academic All-MAC team three times, and graduated in April with a degree in exercise science.
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