Nova Southeastern University’s swim team is no stranger to making headlines, surpassing expectations and living up to NSU’s mantra to dominate the waters. Summer 2021 brought two NSU athletes, Celina Marquez and Steven Aimable, to the Tokyo Olympics. Now, the recent NCAA Women’s Division II Swimming and Diving championships brought Marquez and her fellow NSU Sharks, seniors Savanna Best, Aleksandra “Sasha” Maslova and graduate student Cassie Wright back to the podium for NSU’s second go at being national champions in the women’s 400-yard medley relay with a record time of 3:36.23.
For those who may be unfamiliar, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II is an organization that allows competitions between the various athletic teams offered in universities on a nationwide level. The NCAA Women’s Division II Swimming and Diving Championships is an event hosted annually by the organization featuring a range of competitions in various swimming and diving categories.
For senior marketing major Maslova, this year’s NCAA Women’s Division II Swimming Championships held a larger importance than those she participated in four years prior.
“For the past four years I’ve been going to the nationals and competing, but this year was special for me and my teammate Cassie specifically because it’s our last nationals,” said Aleksandra.
She further went on to explain why this season in particular had been the best so far.
“We’re done with swimming and we’re graduating soon. It’s been different from the past couple of years, this season has defiantly been the best for me. I felt so much stronger and more sure of myself because I had gained all that experience. I knew everyone was preparing to be the fastest and preparing to fight against us, but the big difference was that I wasn’t trying to put myself in a tough mental position because of the competition, I was just enjoying the meet. I was doing it for fun, for the team and for myself. I just wanted to love every second of it, and I did!”
It was with this mindset that Maslova went into the water with, and eventually up onto the podium with.
“It felt amazing. It’s like finally, I’ve been trying to win the national title for the past four years and I’ve finally made it in my last year. It’s like a happy ending,” Maslova said, recalling the moment she and her teammates won. “”
While Maslova won’t be continuing the sport professionally, choosing to instead pursue her career in marketing, she has advice for new students coming into NSU’s swim team.
“Enjoy the ride. It’s a really great four years of experience of college sports and swimming. It’s fun and it’s challenging. And always be supportive of your teammates because it’s a big team, and everyone needs support. Being there for each other always helps a lot, it’s really one of the most important things. That and working hard. So, if you’re doing the smart thing, if you’re doing this right, you’ll love it, and you’ll remember those four years for the rest of your lives.”
