Academy of Notre Dame’s Devyn Sargent is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The sophomore was a first team All-Main Line swimmer last winter as a freshman, and was a versatile standout on the Easterns leaderboard, ranking fourth in the girls 100 back, 100 breast and 200 IM, as well as ninth in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free. Sargent also was part of the school record-holding 200 free relay team. “Devyn is one of our most versatile and reliable swimmers and can compete in a multitude of events – we heavily rely on Devyn in all relays, the sprint freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and IM events,” said Notre Dame swim coach Brigit Barry. Last December, at the Junior National Championships in Greensboro, N.C, she competed in the 200 IM, 100 and 200 backstroke.
Q: You mentioned that your best swim for Academy of Notre Dame to date was the 100 back against Episcopal Academy in the end-of-season meet last winter in which you broke the school record. What was the key to your performance that day?
A: I felt so smooth and hit every turn perfectly. I think my best races always come down to how mentally prepared I feel, and I remember that race being really great both physically and mentally.
Q: What aspect of your swimming did you work on most during the off-season?
A: I think mental preparation is something that can always be improved. Visualizing every aspect of my races and preparing myself as much as possible is something I try to do months in advance, even before the season starts.
Q: What is your favorite event, and why?
A: My favorite high school event is the 100 back. I’ve been a backstroker since I was little and always love a chance to race it. I also love the 200 IM because I like to think of it where each 50 is a different race.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in competitive swimming. What swimming accomplishment outside of the Academy of Notre Dame are you most proud of?
A: I’ve been swimming with the Upper Main Line YMCA since I was 4, and I will swim there until the end of high school. At my last Junior Olympics meet at the beginning of 2020, I qualified for YMCA Nationals, which had been my goal since elementary school. I was so excited after seeing my time that I actually ran around the pool deck and had to be intercepted and calmed down by my coach Jamie. Even though Nationals was canceled for Coronavirus a few weeks later, and since then I have qualified for and competed in higher-level meets, that will always be my favorite moment of my swimming career.
Q: What is your favorite swimming venue, and why?
A: My favorite venue so far is the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina. My first time there was for Winter Junior Nationals and I have such good memories of that meet. I’m excited to go back for YMCA Nationals this spring.
Q: What is your favorite memory of Junior Nationals last December?
A: My favorite memory from Junior Nationals is sitting with my teammate Alexa [Fulton] while the only other swimmer from UMLY, Dylan, was swimming the mile. The three of us and our coach, Todd Conrad, got so close during the meet, and at the very end, Dylan swam the mile and we cheered the whole time. I think our team spirit carried over so much, and at this moment, it really hit me how much I love the team aspect of swimming.
Q: What do you think was your best swim at Junior Nationals?
A: My favorite swim from Juniors was the 200 IM because it felt like everything ‘clicked.’ My time was faster than I expected, and I got to celebrate with my two teammates. I have really good memories of psyching each other up before races and eating lots of dinner rolls together.
Q: Who have been your most valuable swimming mentors, and what were the most important things you learned from each of them?
A: Coach Jamie [Krull] has been part of my life for longer than any other coach. He has been such a positive influence on my life and I owe so much of my mental attitude towards swimming to my time with him. My coach Todd [Conrad] is new for me this year but is already such a great presence in my life. My high school coaches, Brigit [Barry] and Andrew [Austria], are the best people to see at 5:45 a.m., and always manage to have a positive attitude. Swimming at Notre Dame is a really great way to be part of an energetic and fun team, and it’s all thanks to the coaches.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation on the day of a meet.
A: I really do not like putting on a tech suit after warmup, even if I’m completely dry, so on meet mornings, I usually wake up about 45 minutes earlier than needed and very sleepily pull on my suit. It’s something I’ve done since my first few ‘suited’ meets and now I can’t ever go back. Then I eat a breakfast that consists of bananas and a protein shake and get mentally prepared to race. I have a stretching routine that I do before my race that has ended in accidentally smacking someone a few times.
Q: Do you participate in any extracurricular activities at Academy of Notre Dame other than swimming?
A: I participate in JV and Varsity Mathletes, Student Ambassadors, Reading Olympics, Spanish Club, Creative Writing Club, Women in Leadership, and Notre Dame Tech Club (Roll Nechies).
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Academy of Notre Dame? Is there a career path that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite course is my Computer Science Elective because it’s a small class with one of my favorite teachers. I really enjoy the material and will be looking into taking similar classes. I plan on having a career in healthcare or one that involves medical treatment and technology.
Fun facts – Devyn Sargent
Favorite book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
Favorite author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
Favorite TV show: “Saiki K.” or “I Am Not Okay With This.”
Favorite movie: Mulan.
Favorite athlete: Missy Franklin.
Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Beverly Hills by Weezer.
Favorite place to visit: Chukanut Ridge Trail, Washington.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Banana and protein shake.
Person I most admire, and why: “I admire my parents the most because they are willing to do anything and everything for my brother and me to be successful. They have driven me to swim practice for 12 years, and now have to put up with my attempts at driving.”
Family members: parents Will and Meg, brother Liam, dogs Tessa and Moose (black lab and husky).
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
