On a typical day she rises at 4:45 a.m., swims for two hours before the school bell rings, attends classes, then jumps back in the water for three more hours before going home. For Katie Simmons, this was her life at Carmel High.
Hailing from the best swimming program in the country, Simmons will bring a tradition of success to Northwestern next fall. The 10-time state titlist is the most recent star to emerge from the swimming dynasty in Carmel, Ind. A co-captain on the team during her senior year, Simmons led Carmel to its 14th consecutive state championship in February.
Simmons brings versatility to the Wildcats, excelling in both the breaststroke and freestyle. Most importantly, Simmons has endured a rigorous year-round training schedule since elementary school, proving her endurance and commitment to the sport.
“It shows that she’s willing to do whatever it takes to be successful,” NU coach Jimmy Tierney said. “She’s used to putting in a lot of hours; she’s used to committing the time. So for me it’s something I like to have already as a part of their routine and their mental approach to the sport.”
Simmons was a finalist in the 200-meter breaststroke at last year’s U.S. Nationals and also competed in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and the 200 and 400 individual medley. Before starting her term at Carmel in 1996, Simmons competed for the highly regarded Carmel Swim Club.
For a state known for its love affair with basketball, the talk in the affluent suburb of Indianapolis has always focused on the high school swimming dynasty. The man to blame for kids trading their tank tops for speedos is Tony Young, head coach of the club team and the boys and girls squads at Carmel.
“We hope that the training helps prepare our athletes for collegiate swimming and especially Katie, who has prepared herself for Division 1 swimming,” Young said. “As far as her self-discipline and time management, which is one of the toughest things you have to do in college, Katie has been able to handle not only the swimming atmosphere but also the academics.”
“Carmel swimming is obviously the cause of my success,” said Simmons while rooting for the Cats at the Big Ten championships in February in Indianapolis. “Even though I’m going on to Northwestern, I will never lose the part of Carmel swimming that is in me. It’s been my life for the past 10 years and it means the world to me.”
Luring athletes from the talent-rich Carmel High team was a challenge for Tierney. NU rival Michigan was able to entice co-captain Erica Watts to Ann Arbor, Mich., next year, where she will join Carmel High alum and Wolverine junior Lindsay Carlberg.
After signing her letter of intent, Watts told Simmons that Michigan would “whoop her butt” at next year’s Big Ten championships.
But Tierney caught a break in recruiting Simmons — her sister, Christine, competed at NU from 1990-93. Christine swam on Carmel High’s first championship team in 1986 and although her style differs from Katie’s, the sisters both exhibit the same strong demeanor.
“They both have great attitudes, a hard work ethic and they know what it takes to be successful,” Tierney said. “I think she’ll (Katie) be just as successful if not more than her sister, and I think her sister played a role in her coming here.”
Simmons will join a Cats team coming off its best-ever finish — sixth in the NCAAs. Yet NU lost five All-American seniors, including Big Ten champions Amy Balcerzak, Courtney Allen and Dominique Diezi.
The incoming freshman didn’t completely miss the super seniors because she stayed with Balcerzak and Allen during a recruiting trip. The 2000 Olympic hopefuls spoke to Simmons about competing in the Big Tens, NCAAs and at the World University Games with former Olympians.
Yet even without the leadership of last year’s seniors, Simmons is confident the Cats can continue the tradition in September.
“I’m so excited to be part of a team that is a real challenge to be a part of,” Simmons said. “The quality on this team is amazing and I really think we’re going to go places.”
“We’re very proud of our tradition here, and she felt Northwestern provided that same atmosphere,” Young said. “The goals of placing well at NCAAs and winning Big Tens, that was what she was looking for.”
Qualifying for NCAAs as a freshman is Simmons’ main goal for the upcoming year, but she is looking beyond the collegiate events — to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Simmons will compete alongside Balcerzak and Allen this August at the Olympic trials, held just minutes from Carmel in Indianapolis.
To fulfill her lifelong dream, Simmons participates in Project Sydney, a series of extra workouts and training sessions designed for athletes willing to put in the extra time and effort to reach the ultimate goal in athletics.
“I think about it all the time because everybody dreams about it,” Simmons said. “I would be beyond excited and it’s been my goal since I was 11. The only thing I’d worry about is that I’d have to miss the first few months of school.”
