In their final year, the two seek to accomplish unmet goals.
By Jake Mosbach
Iowa senior swimmers Olivia Kabacinski and Allie Orvis are certainly aware that this is their final year in black and gold swimming caps, and they’re determined to make their last year their best yet.
Kabacinski is a native of La Porte, Indiana. Orvis hails from Decorah, Iowa. But head coach Marc Long said the duo seemed like longtime friends from the moment they met freshman year.
“They came here straight out of high school, kind of wide-eyed,” Long said. “They were extremely close right away.”
Since those freshman days, the two have had considerable success as Hawkeyes.
Kabacinski is the school-record holder in the 50 and 100 free, as well as participating on the school-record-holding 200-, 400-, and 800-free relay teams. She and Orvis participated on the school-record-holding 200-medley relay team.
Those school records didn’t come without growth, both as swimmers and as individuals.
“Over the years, I’ve matured a ton and gained so much confidence,” Kabacinski said. Orvis said her improvement since freshman year has surprised even her.
Long’s squad is loaded with underclassmen, leaving room for Kabacinski and Orvis to provide plenty of guidance to their teammates.
That guidance comes both in and out of the water. The duo agreed that their actions in the pool are perhaps more influential than anything they could say to motivate the underclassmen.
“We definitely try to lead by example,” Orvis said. “Coach is always talking about having a sense of urgency, so we try to show that.”
“Our actions and how we hold ourselves are so important,” Kabacinski agreed. “We have to make it easy for the underclassmen to approach us about race strategies or advice.”
The school records and other accomplishments are important for Orvis and Kabacinski, but there are certainly things that they haven’t accomplished yet that they’re setting their sights on.
Kabacinski, a business major, and Orvis, majoring in art, will go on to have success in their respective fields. But those goals that haven’t been reached in the pool are their priorities at the moment.
And with this being their senior years, it’s now or never.
“I’d love to make it on a relay team at the NCAAs,” Orvis said. “Specifically, the 200-medley relay at the backstroke spot. That’s what I’m working for.”
“I’ve been on the cusp of making the NCAAs the past few years, and that’s always been a dream of mine,” said Kabacinski. “I’d love to leave college making the NCAAs.”
The seniors have experienced quite a bit during their time as students and swimmers and have learned the ropes on how to have successful college years.
If Orvis could speak to freshmen, she said she would give this simple piece of advice:
“Don’t hold back, and don’t wait until senior year to make improvements,” she said. “Give it your all, because it goes by fast.”
