Over the past few years, the Northwestern Wildcats have built up a strong middle-distance and distance group that has aided them tremendously when it has come to big dual meet wins and crucial points at the end of the season. One of the most instrumental members of the Wildcats’ distance group over the last four years has been Ellen Anderson out of Montgomery Village, Maryland, and she will be one of the most important pieces of the Wildcats’ push at the Conference Championships next week.
Anderson competed for the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club before launching her NCAA Career, and she came to Evanston as the club record holder in the 500 free and 1650 free in the 15-16 age group as well as the club record holder in the 800 free for the 17-18 age group (a record that she still holds today). As a freshman with the Wildcats, Anderson immediately became a reliable source of points in nearly every competition that she participated in, and by the end of the season, she would have the fastest freestyle times on the team in every event from the 200 up to the 1650. She would continue to be a very useful member of the team at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, where she recorded finishes of 23rd in the 500 free (4:52.41), 29th in the 200 free (1:49.70), and 13th in the 1650 free (16:38.35). Additionally, Anderson led off the Wildcats’ 800 Free relay (10th, 7:16.70) and her 1:48.23 split was the fastest of the four members of the relay.
As a sophomore, Anderson would continue to serve an important role as a part of Northwestern’s distance contingent, and she would compete in the same events as the previous year at the Conference Championships. She would leave her second stint at Big Tens with finishes of 49th in the 200 free (1:51.39), 29th in the 500 free (4:51.57), and 26th in the 1650 Free. She also retained her lead-off role on the Wildcats’ 800 free relay, where she posted a 1:50.23 split on NU’s 10th place-finishing relay.
For her third appearance at Big Tens with the Wildcats, Anderson improved significantly on her times across the board from the previous year. Individually, she would take 38th in the 200 free (1:49.88), 40th in the 500 free (4:51.45), and 21st in the 1650 free (16:35.76). She also anchored the Wildcats’ 9th place-finishing 800 free relay (7:14.75). Notably, her 1650 time was a new lifetime best, and second amongst all Wildcats in the event.
Having early season success in the distance freestyle events can mean a world of a difference for a swimmer, and Anderson can be sure that she’ll go out with a bang given how good she has been relative to her bests this season. She has already been a 1:50.38 in the 200 free, a 4:49.89 in the 500 free, and a 16:35.89 in the 1650 free all from the TYR Invitational last November. Notably, that 500 free time is a career best for her, and she is less than half-a-second off her all-time best time in the 1650 already, and that could serve as some serious motivation for the senior when the Wildcats get to Ann Arbor next week.
As a proven racer with a formidable supporting cast in the distance group, and with the newly modified scoring system that allows finalists in the bonus heats to score at Big Tens now in place, Ellen Anderson will be more important than ever for the Wildcats in their Championship charge when the action kicks off next Tuesday.
Best Times (SCY/LCM):
200 Free: 1:48.23/2:04.60
500 Free/400 Free: 4:49.89/4:21.81
1000 Free/800 Free: 9:53.90/8:51.98
1650 Free/1500 Free: 16:35.76/17:13.21
200 Back: 2:01.47/2:23.23
School Major/Degree: Economics and Statistics double major, Psychology minor
Favorite Event: 1650 Free
Favorite Hobby: Writing poetry. Occasionally, I recite my poems at a coffee shop off-campus.
Favorite Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I’ve loved the movie since I was little and wish I could be a character in a John Hughes’ coming-of-age film. Since coming to Northwestern, I’ve visited all of the Chicago landmarks in the movie like the Sears (Willis) Tower, the Art Institute, and Wrigley Field.
Person You’d Like to Meet Growing Up: Well right now I’d really like to meet Malala Yousafzai. She won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest Nobel laureate ever. I admire the work she’s done on behalf of women’s empowerment and the right to education. She’s showed courage and passion at such a young age; it’s truly inspiring.
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: My favorite food is stuffed peppers; I actually really like the ones from Stouffer’s. But the night before a meet, I’ll usually have pasta.
At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?
I’d been going to my older brother and sister’s swim meets since I was born. I really wanted to swim like them. So, I started taking lessons when I was four. I joined them on our local summer swim team and YMCA winter team at age six. And I’ve enjoyed swimming ever since!
What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why?
My favorite memories are really the day-to-day training in the distance lane. Our old distance coach, Anna Miller, created a tough but fun atmosphere that we’ve built off of. It’s the little things I hold dear, like my teammate Emily making jokes and forgetting the set or doing 30 100s best average with my best friends by my side. I believe it’s a truly invaluable experience to come in every day for four years and work with/learn from 25 other unique and powerful women.
You had a very good midseason meet at the 2015 TYR Invitational where you went a lifetime best in the 500 Free and also rattled your personal best in the 1650. Can you talk about what that meet did for your confidence, and was it significant that you were able to do so well in front of a home crowd?
This year’s TYR Invite reminded me of why I love this sport and why I love racing. I’m trying to just enjoy the whole process for my last year and I went into TYR with that mindset. I knew I’d trained very well leading up to the meet and could throw down some fast times. I think the last day was a big confidence booster for me. I did really well in the 1650 and the 200 back and then I had my best ever relay split in the 400 free relay. The mile/ 200 back double is always challenging and it feels really good to look up at the scoreboard and smile after my races.
It’s always awesome to swim well at home. My roommates came to watch me swim and being able to cheer on our own pool deck and our own bulkhead is very special. We also have a fun tradition at the TYR Invite of passing off the TYRara. The TYRara is a plastic tiara that gets passed off to the person who has the most impressive swim in each event.
Prior to the onset of the 2015-16 season, the Wildcats underwent a coaching change, with Northwestern alum and ex-Nevada coach Abby Steketee taking the reins. While some teams struggle during transitional periods, the Wildcats have thrived this season, and have an 8-2 record to their name. Do you feel there has been a change in the team atmosphere in Evanston this year that has allowed your team to be so successful this season?
I think transition and uncertainty is always difficult. We did improve our team dynamic and racing skills a lot last year. We knew we’ll always have each other and we have goals to achieve, so we embraced the change. We’ve become more thoughtful, deliberate, and fearless in the way we train and the way we race this year. Coach Abby is unapologetically excellent in everything she does. Her vigor and dedication is infectious and she is someone who inspires her swimmers to achieve great things. I also believe we’ve benefited greatly from the contributions of our underclassmen. We have freshman and sophomores who really step up to the plate and perform every time.
What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?
I’d have to say my club coach in high school, Bill Shechtman, from the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club. I really looked forward to coming to practice each day and seeing what he had in store for us. I felt a deep sense of accomplishment in seeing my hard work come to fruition and in achieving my goals for the first time. He really encouraged me to pursue distance swimming and have fun with my races, descending and negative splitting. I love to negative split my races. Bill’s also a fun and caring guy who wants his swimmers to develop into good people.
Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?
I recently accepted an associate position with IDinsight in India. In this role, I’ll work with the government and NGOs to design and implement impact evaluations of international development projects. I’ll move out there at the end of the summer. I’m very excited for this new and rewarding challenge.
What should we look forward to from Northwestern as a whole at this year’s Big Ten Championships?
We’re going into Big Tens ready to make a statement and have some fun. We’re going to swim and dive our hearts out and support each other all the way. Expect to see steadfast racing and precision in our starts, turns, breakouts, etc. We’ve worked a lot on our relays in practice and I believe it will show at Big Tens. Our team values are integrity, relationships, hard work, and passion and we really hope to exemplify those, whether cheering in our poolside purple or finishing strong.
