This week’s Athlete of the Week is senior Ana Bogdanovski, who capped her Hopkins women’s swimming career by winning the title in the 100 Free in her final swim at the 2015 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship on March 21. The win brought her title count to three in this year’s competition and 10 overall in her collegiate career. The News-Letter asked her about her swimming career at Hopkins and the meaning of this title compared to her numerous others.
News-Letter: How did it feel ending your Hopkins career by winning the title in your final race at the 2015 NCAA Tournament?
Ana Bogdanovski: It feels great to have finished my Hopkins career with a sweep of all three races. It’s a nice conclusion to an amazing experience.
N-L: You’ve won numerous titles and awards in you career. How does this win, along with the other from this year’s competition, compare to the others?
AB: It’s different, because more than half of my victories are from relays. Winning with a team is a great feeling and is hard to compare to winning an individual race. However, my individual races are a reflection of the hard work and dedication that the coaches and my teammates have put into helping me improve. I’m just glad to make my team proud.
N-L: How do you think you’ve grown as a swimmer and a competitor since first arriving at Hopkins?
AB: I have grown so much in the last four years. I used to be a nervous wreck about everything — my work ethic was not so great, and I had no time management or organizational skills. Through the help of my coaches and teammates, I learned and developed these skills in swimming and extended them to the rest of my life, especially in school. I was not a great swimmer coming in to college. I was inconsistent and could barely make it through a practice. But I had great role models and mentors on the team that got me to where I am today.
N-L: What major are you, and how have you handled being an athlete as well as a student for the past four years?
AB: I’m a public health studies major. I didn’t nail down the student-athlete thing until my sophomore year when my friend on the team showed me how to manage my time more effectively and that professors are willing to help if you ask. Being an athlete in college kind of forces you into learning time-management skills. If you don’t figure it out, you’ll easily find yourself up late when you have to get up at five the next morning for practice. Learning to balance work, swimming and sleep was a struggle but was necessary to success.
N-L: How does it feel coming to the end of your collegiate career, and what do you think is in store for you in terms of swimming in the future?
AB: It’s bittersweet. My swimming career is not over — I am training to hopefully swim in the 2016 Olympics for Macedonia. However, Hopkins swimming has been my home and family for the past four years. My team helped me grow and change into who I am now, and I will forever be thankful for this. Coach Kennedy helped me gain confidence in myself in and out of the pool. Coach Kett taught me to relax and get out of my head. My teammates are like family at this point. They know my faults and supported and continue to support me regardless. Hopkins swimming has positively impacted my life way outside the realm of swimming and has gotten me to where I am today. Nothing can compare to what Hopkins swimming is to me.
Bogdanovski has acquired a vast collection of individual and team honors over her career at Hopkins. Her accolades include five individual titles (2-50, 1-100, 2-200), five relays (1-200 Free, 1-400 Free, 2-800 Free, 1-400 Medley) and 23 All-American Honors.
