Allie Deininger has spent a good part of her 17 years in the pool. She has dedicated herself to being an outstanding swimmer and the results are a direct “result” of her hard work, commitment and passion for swimming.
But as the song goes, “All Things Must Pass.” And while she no longer will be swimming competitively in college, that same work ethic, commitment and passion will be redirected to other areas in her life. Swimming helped create a work ethic that is now part of her DNA and that will never pass.
“I decided not to swim in college because I really want to focus on my studies and be able to meet new people and enjoy life outside of swimming,” she says. “It was difficult since I put so much into swim and it is deeply rooted into my life, and I believe I will never fully give up swimming. Swim has taught me so many great lessons that I will use throughout my life. I will never regret all the time and dedication I put in.”
The Skyline senior swimmer has nothing to regret when it comes to the results.
“Allie made the very most of her senior year,” says Skyline Coach Maureen Murrett. “She finished with All-State performances in all four of her events. She set the tone for our relays with strong lead off legs and a positive vibe. Allie is really fun to be around. She was able to find joy in her swimming this year and that made all the difference.”
At this year’s Division 2 State Finals, Deininger swam the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay, and 400 free relay for the Eagles. She was fourth in the 100 free and seventh in the 50 free in the individual events. Skyline was second in the 200 free relay and third in the 400 free relay.
The Eagles landed in fourth place with 164 points at the D-2 State Finals in November at the Holland Aquatic Center.
“I thought this year’s team was the best out of my years,” Deininger said. “The team was super supportive of each other and closer than I’ve seen before. The attitude throughout the whole team was super positive and excited to be there. Some of my highlights from this season were listening and dancing to music with my teammates before practice and races.”
Allie, 17, is the daughter of Christina and Peter Deininger and has a 3.9 GPA in the classroom. She also plays water polo for the Eagles and enjoys reading, coaching, traveling, trying new foods and finding good restaurants.
She first jumped in the pool at a very young age.
“Both my siblings swam, and my parents decided to put me in it as well,” she says. “My siblings and I all joined the Huron Valley Swim Club, and we all enjoyed doing the swim meets, practices, and activities.
“I tried a lot of sports growing up, but I stuck with swimming. I think this is because swimming takes all your whole body to do; it targets all muscles and is a really difficult sport. I loved the challenge and the thrill of competition. I’ve always been very competitive, and this was the perfect sport for me.”
During the off-season, Deininger worked hard. She would do a lot of weight training and club water polo practices in the off-season. “Our swim coach, Mojo, allows us to come to a few of the boys’ practices to get extra swim training, which is super helpful to stay in shape,” she said.
Deininger says motivation to swim – including getting laps in before school – comes in waves – no pun intended.
“Some days are super hard, and some days are easier,” she says. “My teammates really motivate me during the season to get up early, head to weightlifting, and come to practice with a positive attitude. Realizing if my teammates can do this, so can I, and vice versa.
“At the beginning of the season, I set some goals for myself, so every time I would head to practice, I put those goals in the back of my mind. I’m reminding myself why I’m here and what my end goal is.”
So when she steps up on the blocks, she is confident because she knows she has put in the effort.
“Before every race, I choose a song that I listen to on repeat before I go up to the block,” she says. “When I get this song stuck in my head, I repeat this song and focus on getting myself ready. In the water, I focus on my breathing pattern, my turns, and beating the girls next to me.”
Deininger offers this advice for youngsters just jumping into the pool for the first time.
“Some advice I would give someone who is just starting out in swimming is to work hard on the details as well as speed,” she says. “Hard practices and bad days are what make you a better swimmer. Everyone has bad races or practices. Make swimming fun. Many people say swimming is boring since you look at a black line for hours. But, enjoy it, make it your own, and enjoy the little things about it (talking with friends in between breaks).”
So, with swimming off the schedule, what’s next?
“I plan on attending college after high school with a major in political science,” she says. “I am thinking about doing a club sport, whether that is club water polo or swimming.”
Senior pictures by Will Brinkerhoff
