MLA's Lourdes Manderfield takes distance journey to Division I scholarship
HOLLAND - Thirteen years ago, Lourdes Manderfield was a wide-eyed kid exploring the world of swimming.
Now, she is the only senior swimmer from Holland still on the Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics club all of those years later.
Manderfield has seen coaching and program changes, event changes and outlook changes.
All have led her to an opportunity to swim at the NCAA Division I level. Manderfield has signed to swim at Bowling Green State University, in the Mid-American Conference.
"It feels good. I have been swimming for 13 years and to see those years of hard work pay off are great. It is exciting. It is a very accomplishing feeling," Manderfield said. "I just loved the whole environment the had. Everything they had was what I was looking for, the coaches, the team, the campus."
While Manderfield has stuck with MLA, her path wasn't the traditional one. After a couple years swimming for Holland High School, she opted to focus on club swimming instead of high school swimming.
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"At first, I was really unsure. It was a hard decision. In the end, I can see it was the better route that benefitted my plan and my future the best," she said.
It was a tough decision, but one that got her more prepared for college distance events, where she will be swimming the 500-yard freestyle but focus on the 1,650 freestyle.
"Lourdes is a great kid to work with. She works her tail off every single day and holds herself and those around her to a higher standard. She is learning how to be a leader this year, someone a little more vocal," MLA coach Ian Townsend said. "As far as not swimming high school, it was about building a plan around what she wanted to do and what her goals were, and we did an effective job doing that.
"We have focused on the distance events and made some really good progress. She has the right mentality for it. The more the pain starts, the better she gets. She dropped 13 seconds in the mile at the Michigan Open and three in the 500 free, which was big because she got a sectional cut."
That is something Manderfield has been focused on for more than a year. She went a 5:06 in the 500 free and a 17:38 in the 1,650 free.
"That was prett big. I have been trying to get under the cut for almost two years now. It feels really good. It is crazy to think how much I have improved since freshman year. Futures is next, hopefully," Manderfield said. "Being able to be in pain for that long, that stamina and being able to hold on for that long is (one of my strengths). You are in pain for 17-18 minutes. But it is about being in love with the sport. Having that motivation keeps me going. You have to love the sport to swim those distance events."
Manderfield's parents were swimmers as well as some other family members.
"They have been great role models," she said.
She has had some great role models around MLA as well, and they are excited for Manderfield's opportunity in college.
"This is a huge deal and we want to make sure we celebrate the heck out of it. It is something that doesn't happen that often," Townsend said. "I think that is going to be a great place for her to grow."
First, Manderfield has the rest of her senior season to prepare for college. One last lap with a team she grew up with.
"I stuck with it and kept going with all the previous head coaches. Don Kimble was here when I started. I remember when Jim (Whitehead) came and the impact he made. It is really special to see how the team has (developed)," she said. "I want to finish off with at good last season at MLA. I have been here for so long, it is kind of sad to think my time here is coming to an end. I want to make one last fun season and stretch it as far as I can."
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: MLA's Lourdes Manderfield takes distance journey to Division I
