VERMILLION –
Katie Coleman's excitement is not just limited to her final competition in a South Dakota swimming uniform.
Coleman gets excited when she talks about Coyote swimming and diving and not only the present, but also the future.
Coleman is the lone senior among the 16 South Dakota swimmers who will compete Thursday through Saturday at the CSCAA National Invitational that takes place at the Robert F. Busbey Natatorium on the Cleveland State campus.
Thirteen of the 16 Coyotes headed to Cleveland, Ohio, are freshman, many of whom helped both the men's and women's squads post runner-up finishes at the Summit League Championships.
'It was so exciting, so exciting to see all our freshmen swim really fast," said Coleman. "The women's team put in work all season to get to that point, to get that second place.
"They (freshmen) definitely set it (the bar) higher for the team, for incoming freshmen, for anybody on the team now."
Coleman will graduate in May with a degree in kinesiology and sports management. She'll spend next season training, though, for when she attends and competes in the 50 free at the Canadian Olympic Trials in 2020.
She qualified, for the second time in her career, when she met the qualifying time of 26.87 during a long course meet held on the Sunday following the Summit League Championships at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls.
"I had to swim the 50 free twice," said Coleman. "Second time I got it, and I got it right on the dot.
"Long course is in meters, it's nice because we train in meters all year long. It's nice for me because it's what I am used to."
The Lac La Biche, Alberta, native will compete in eight events during the CSCAA National Invitational. It's a similar schedule to what she swam during the Summit League Championships, where she earned five All-League honors (four relays, one individual).
"Individually, I am just looking for some more best times, see how high I can put myself up the team rankings," said Coleman. "For the team, I would like to see us beat a few more team records as well.
"I want to see what the freshmen can do, they're exciting to watch."
Coleman is the school record holder in the 50-yard freestyle while she also ranks in the Coyote Top 10 in the 100 free (third), 100 backstroke (fourth) and the 100 fly (ninth).
She'll compete individually in the 50 fly, 50 free, 100 back and 100 free this week along with Coyote relay teams in 200 free, 400 free, 200 medley and 400 medley. She's part of school records in the 200 free, 400 free and 200 medley relays.
Excuse Coleman if she'll feel some emotions this weekend in Cleveland when she dons the Coyote uniform for the final time. The emotions were also there at the Summit League Championships, since she her parents, Duane and Roberta Coleman, were seeing her compete in person for one of the few times in her collegiate career.
"I thought conference was going to be pretty emotional," said Coleman. "I'm going to be the only senior there, it's my last meet of my (USD) career.
"My parents actually drove down for conference, I got to see them there as well. It's hard just seeing them there, it's the first time my dad had seen me race in 10 years. So that was pretty cool and I swam really well."
