Straight-A Team: Kelsey Mallon
6/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
June 22, 2009
This is the third in a series of 13 features about Miami University's brightest student-athletes. Their exceptional academic performance during the recently completed spring semester earned them a spot on the roster of the RedHawks' exclusive Straight-A Team. In addition to their rigorous schedules on the athletic fields, each of these individuals earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average this past semester.
So far, 2009 ranks right up there as one of the best-ever years for 18-year-old sophomore-to-be Kelsey Mallon.
In February at Cooper Pool in the Bowling Green Student Recreation Center, she and her Miami swimming and diving teammates were "valedictorians" of the Mid-American Conference, winning Miami's first MAC championship since 2005.
Then, two-and-a-half months later in May, Mallon capped things off with a spring semester of straight A's in her classroom studies of American history, English and introduction to communications disorders, earning President's List honors.
It was the latter class that piqued her interest the most. "Going into the semester, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to take," said Mallon. "Introduction to communication disorders touched upon speech pathology and audiology. I've always like all subjects, but this was a new one that caught my attention and I think it's a path I may pursue.
"Ultimately, I want to go to grad school and get my master's in speech pathology. I would probably want to go into a hospital setting, helping children with speaking disorders or perhaps the elderly who have had strokes."
This summer, Mallon is coaching a local swimming team of nine- and ten-year-olds in her hometown of Wheaton, Illinois.
"I was a member of this team when I was a kid," she said. "I just really like kids. They keep you happy and excited. The biggest thing I emphasize is having fun, which is easy to do."
As a freshman this past season for Coach Dave Jennings, Mallon posed personal-best times in the 100 butterfly (:58.03), the 200 fly (2:08.05) and the 100 freestyle (:56.52).
Besides winning the MAC, the highlight for Mallon was last December's Miami Invitational where she recorded a personal record in the 200 fly.
"We had a great showing at the Miami Invite," she said. "A ton of records were broken. Dave was like, `who had a PR this weekend?', and it seemed like every hand went up. I had mono at the beginning of the season, so to get a PR in the 200 fly was definitely a highlight for me."
Mallon smiles broadly when talking about the 2008-09 RedHawks.
"It was just a tremendous team," she said. "Things really clicked. I'd never been a part of something like that. The seniors taught me that the most important thing is team success."
So what does Kelsey Mallon hope to achieve during her last three years at Miami?
"I just want the team to continue to grow and succeed," she said. "We have a really good chance of doing that."
STRAIGHT-A TEAM
Name: Kelsey Mallon
Hometown/HS: Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South
Parents: Michael and Nancy Mallon
Spring Semester GPA: 4.00
What is the most notable thing about your hometown? Wheaton has the most churches per square mile in the United States
What is your strangest superstition? "I need to crack my neck before I race in order to go fast."
Who is your non-sports hero? "My dad, because he is the most courageous person I know. He is strong and always does the right thing."
--www.MURedHawks.com--
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