On Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, Wissahickon senior Liz McKenna signed a letter of intent to swim at Loyola University.
Liz McKenna – Loyola University (Swimming)
Major: Undecided
Final list of schools: Loyola, Scranton, Bloomsburg
Reasons for choosing Loyola: “I liked the area, and when I met the team, they were so welcoming. When I go down there, I just feel like I’m at home. Someone told me when you feel comfortable there and you feel at home, that’s the perfect college for you. I knew there was great opportunities for me, and I just fell in love with it.
“My cousin (Colin McKenna) swam there, and I got very familiar with the program when I was a younger swimmer still getting into the sport, so when I would go watch him swim, I was like, ‘I’m really interested. Maybe I could see myself doing this.’ It ends up I will see myself doing that and following in his steps.”
What was the progression that led you to swimming at the collegiate level? “Last year I was still like, ‘I want to do field hockey. I want to do swimming. Maybe I’ll go to a D-3 school and do both,’ but when I started progressing and made it to states in swimming and I knew this was my passion, I decided to definitely stick with swimming and keep field hockey as a club sport. That’s when I decided I wanted to go to college for that.”
Coach Laurie Hug says: “Liz is a positive, upbeat girl who was a good role model both in and out of the pool. She was one of our hardest workers in the pool, and despite not being a year-round swimmer, she made the District One Championships and the PIAA State Championships the past two years. Out of the pool, she shows leadership abilities, and the team respects her.
“I first noticed her leadership skills when she was a sophomore. After the Suburban One Championships, the team went out for lunch. She stood up and - without any prompting - gave a little speech, congratulating all the girls on a great regular season and pumping them up for District One Championships. I found that to be impressive for an underclassman. Hopefully, she continues her success in collage at Loyola. We definitely will miss her!”
About Liz:
Favorite food: Chicken Fingers & French Fries
Favorite movie: Bring it On
Favorite music: Rap, pump up songs, ‘Lil Wayne
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