CONCORDIA LUTHERAN SWIMMING AND DIVING IS HOME TO A GENERATIONAL TALENT, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
Freshman Katherine Tilley – the younger sister of ‘Sader Nation legend Erin Tilley – is becoming a star in her own right.
Given her family background, she was almost born to be a swimmer.
“It’s a funny story, actually,” said Tilley. “Years ago, my Mom had this nightmare that my sister [Erin] was in the pool and she was drowning, which eventually led to her putting Erin into swimming. Growing up with my sister, I thought, ‘I could do that!’ So, when I was five, I first got into the water.”
What did Tilley end up doing her first year on the Crusaders’ swim team? Nothing much. She only became a TAPPS State Champion.
“I felt like I was going to do well, because I was going to give it my all,” Tilley said. “But, I was genuinely very surprised, going to in the postseason and just continuing on to win at State.”
Tilley concluded the 2022 TAPPS State competition with two gold medals--the 50-yard and 100-yard Freestyle-- leading her team to a sixth-place finish at TAPPS State with 118 points.
Tilley has hefty plans for her future.
“I definitely want to swim in college,” she said. “My sister currently does at Incarnate Word, and I want to possibly go to a big school one day. The end-goal is to maybe make it big-time – the Olympic trials.”
In addition to the exorbitant amount of time she devotes to swimming, the soon-to-be CLHS sophomore spends time in the school’s Art program, with the intention of joining Choir.
You’ll see plenty of Katherine Tilley around campus, but this star will be shiningvbrightest when she’s working at her familyvbusiness...the pool.