A Swimmer’s Reflection on Her Four-Year Career

For the last four seasons, the Elms College women's swim team has reached the pinnacle of success. In 2010-11 and 2011-12, the Blazers have finished second in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship. The team has set numerous school and pool records and has also qualified many swimmers for the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship – a three-day event that concludes each season. One of the swimmers at the forefront of this success is senior Tessa Dudunake.

Tessa, a native of Northampton, Mass., has put together an impressive list of athletic credentials since she began her collegiate swimming career in 2009. During that first season, Tessa was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year and was honored as the GNAC Swimmer of the Year in her second season in 2010-11.

Over the course of four years, Tessa was a 14-time GNAC champion in seven individual events and seven relays – five which are GNAC meet records. Equally impressive is that she was also recognized as an All-NEISDA swimmer in each of her four years and capped her career by receiving the NEISDA Senior High Point Award in 2012-13. This award is earned by the senior swimmer who scores the most points at the NEISDA Championships over their entire career and the field is comprised of 22 teams throughout the region, and include teams from NCAA Divisions II and III.

Tessa concluded her swimming career at Elms with five individual school records and eight relay records and holds a spot on the all-time top five times list in 15 individual events.

There is much more to Tessa then just swimming accolades, however. Tessa is enrolled in Elms' top-notch and competitive Nursing program and excels in the classroom as well as in the water.

"My approach to swimming was to just put my head down, work hard, support my teammates and not worry about how I placed or the awards and statistics," Tessa explained.  "I just figured that if I did the work, the results would follow."

And they did. Something that head coach Bill Tyler, now in his ninth season at the helm of the Blazers' swim programs, recognized from the very beginning.

"Tessa has natural leadership qualities and is a great organizer," Coach Tyler commented.  "When she wanted something done it got done. She was supportive of the team and was always willing to give what she could in the pool, sometimes fighting through illness or injuries. She would not give up, she did not want to let her teammates down."

The road through her four years has not been the easiest between injuries and the time commitments associated with the nursing program, but her experiences, combined with her dedication and leadership, have allowed her to become one of the most consistently excellent athletes to come through the Elms athletic program. This has not gone unnoticed by her coach.

"The nursing major is tough at Elms," Coach Tyler stated.  "To do a team sport and major in nursing is no easy task. The only way to do it is to make the commitment and be dedicated and then throw in a great deal of heart and persistence."

Finding a balance between the athletics and academics is the cornerstone of being a student athlete at any institution and for Coach Tyler, Tessa is the epitome of this notion.

"Her dedication and talent in the pool paid off in a big way when she was awarded the Senior High Point Award at the NEISDA championships this year," he noted. "She will forever be a shining example of what a nursing major can accomplish in athletics at Elms College."

As is often the case with successful individuals, be they in athletics, business, healthcare or any other field, there is more to their accomplishments than any individual or team recognition. Tessa is no different.

"At the end of this long journey what is most important to me are the lifelong friendships and memories I've made, and the opportunities I've had to swim with outstanding coaches. I owe a lot of gratitude to Bill Tyler and [assistant coach] Corey Soutra for the commitment they have made these past four years to the Elms College swim program. I couldn't have received any of these individual awards without their dedication and support."