Academy of Notre Dame swimmer Madison Kolessar is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The junior, who transferred to Academy of Notre Dame for her junior year, has already made an immediate impact on the Irish swimming team. At Academy of Notre’s first meet of the season, against Inter-Ac and Easterns defending champions Penn Charter, Kolessar placed first in the 200 freestyle (1:58.16), 100 backstroke (59.38), and 400 free relay (3:40.03 – splitting a 53.1). Kolessar also broke two school records in the 200 medley relay (1:50.95) and 400 free relay (3:40.03) along with her sister, freshman Ashley Kolessar, sophomore Mia Abruzzo and freshman Natalie Stuart. “Her versatility is incredible,” said ND head coach Brigit Barry. Kolessar currently holds the Delaware County record in the 200 free.
Q: What is your most vivid memory of the season-opening meet against Penn Charter?
A: One of the vivid memories of this meet was winning the 400 free relay at the end, Coach Bridget had mentioned after the fact that it was the first time in many years Notre Dame has beat Penn Charter in a relay, so I thought that was really special.
Q: What do you think has been the key to your success in the 200 free?
A: The 200 free is one of the shorter distance races I do, compared to the longer races such as the 500 or the 1,650. I feel that following a specific strategy in the 200 has been the key to my success. I make sure to go out fast in the first 100, not using my legs a lot. Then the last 100 to use everything I have and race.
Q: What has been your most memorable experience in the pool outside
of swimming for Academy of Notre Dame?
A: My 400 IM race at the spring 2018 NCSA meet in Orlando, Fla. I finished third and got out of the pool to be surrounded in a group hug by all of my teammates. A few minutes later I also found out that it had qualified me to compete in Dublin, Ireland and represent NCSA and the USA.
Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?
A: On Mondays I do a practice before school from 5:30-7:15 a.m. and do a second practice after school from 6:45-9 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have practice from 6:45-9 p.m. Then on Wednesdays and Fridays I have practice from 4:15-6:30 p.m. with 30 minutes of dryland after. Then on Saturday, I swim from 8-11 a.m.
Q: What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?
A: I’ve been working on breastroke to help improve my IM races.
Q: What pool did you first swim for? What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: The first team I swam for was Delaware Swim Team, up until the age of 12, when I switched teams to Suburban Seahawks. My favorite swimming venue is Bucknell University. I always seem to swim fast in that pool and I have lots of fun memories with my team there over the past years.
Q: Who have been your biggest swimming mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: Charlie Kennedy, my club swim coach at SSC has been one of the most influential swimming mentor over these past few years. He has taught me countless lessons and tips, that have formed me into the swimmer and person I am today. He has taught me the importance of hard work, believing in myself, and to always have fun with the sport even during the tough times. I also commend my first coach, Cindy Millison. She was my first childhood coach and has formed me into the tough, hard-working driven person I am today.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation the day of a meet.
A: The day of a swim meet I make sure to eat a good breakfast and lunch. I make sure to keep calm and relaxed mindset throughout the day as well. As for when I arrive at the pool, I try to stay relaxed getting in the proper warm up and stretching before my race. I also enjoy having fun, laughing with friends before swimming to keep a relaxed mood as well.
Q: What would you like to major in at college? Is there a particular career path that interests you at the present time?
A: I would like to major in Kinesiology at college. This would allow me to go down the career path of Physical Therapy, Occupational therapy, and more.
Fun facts – Madison Kolessar
Favorite TV show: Supergirl.
Favorite place to visit: Clearwater Beach, Fla.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Pasta with butter.
Person I most admire, and why: “Both of my parents because they have both worked extremely hard for my sisters and I our whole life. They have both formed me into the person I am today and I can’t thank them enough for it.”
Family members: parents Jeff and Michelle; sisters Ashley and Kaitlyn.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
