Liberty Senior Makes a Splash in Her Return to Competitions

For the Lady Flames swimming and diving team, returning to competition after months out is no easy task. But thanks to a series of impressive performances by senior Lindsey Cohee, their 2020-21 season is off and running – and as the season progresses, her consistency in the pool will be increasingly important. 

On Oct. 23, the Lady Flames defeated UNC Asheville (162-127). During this meet Cohee helped her team win the 400-meter medley relay. She also won the 200-meter fly in 2:06.92 and later that meet she won the 100-meter fly in 58.51. 

The next day the Lady Flames defeated Campbell University, with Cohee picking up exactly where she left off the day before. She won the 200 fly again, beating the nearest competitor by 3.54 seconds. She went on to win the 100 fly in 57.13 seconds, dropping one second off her 100 fly time the day before. 

“It felt so good to compete again. It’s been a long time since me and the whole team have competed,” Cohee said. “One of my favorite aspects of swimming is being able to compete. I am very competitive, so just being able to get back in the water was great.”

After the spectacular performance, the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association announced Cohee as the CCSA Women’s Swimmer of the Week. Cohee shared this special honor with one of her teammates, freshman Maddie Freece. Freece was crowned CCSA Women’s Diver of the Week. This was the athletes’ first time in their respective careers winning CCSA weekly honors.

“I was kind of surprised,” Cohee said. “This was my first-time winning CCSA Swimmer of the Week. I wasn’t really expecting it to be honest, but I was really humbled.”

Becoming a successful swimmer does not happen overnight. Lady Flames Coach Jake Shellenberger attributed Cohee’s success to the tremendous effort she puts in day in and day out to hone her technique in the pool.

“She really works hard and with swimming and diving that is something you really need,” Shellenberger said. “She’s the type that doesn’t complain, she just gets the job done.”

Entering this season, Cohee is ranked third in program history in the 200 fly and fifth in the 100 fly, giving her the opportunity to set some personal records in her events her senior year, which would also be crucial once the CCSA Championships begin next year.

As a senior Cohee has been a part of back-to-back CCSA titles under Coach Shellenberger, and the Lady Flames are hoping for a three-peat this season.

“Scoring top eight in three different events is always something that we shoot for as far as total points go. Lindsey has done that in the past, and that’s the goal again for the future,” Shellenberger said. “It’s going to be a challenge – Florida Gulf Coast University, our rivals, are pretty good every year.”

Although winning the CCSA Championship title is the ultimate goal for Cohee and the team, the Lady Flames are currently turning their focus to an invitational meet starting Nov. 20. The TYR ’85 Invitational is a three-day event that will take place in the Liberty Natatorium. 

Emmanuel Adamson is a Social Media Manager. Follow him on Twitter at @Eadamson12.

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