Illinois State Swim and Dive Team Shines at Purdue Invitational

Image Courtesy of Redbird Athletics

NORMAL, Ill. -Following the Purdue Invitational, Head Redbird Swim and Dive Coach Riley Hilbrandt shared her thoughts on her team’s season so far and looked ahead to the future.

Coach Hilbrandt told us that the Purdue Invitational went “beyond expectations” as the team picked up 96 season-best times, 11 life-best times, and 1 school record time from Mia Snow. Seeing these records being broken took a “weight off my shoulders”, said Coach Hilbrandt. As for preparation for this meet, Coach Hilbrandt explained that the team still did their normal practice routines including going to the weight room. However, three days before, the team did a “drop rest,” and practices were lighter than usual for the last two days before leaving for West Lafayette.

Coach Hilbrandt explained that it was also a relief for her to see that the plan she put into action was working throughout the three-day meet in the middle of the season, and that it was “giving her a good idea for conference” coming up. She also gave us a look into her incentives for her team and how they celebrated their accomplishments. The team brings a board to every meet with stickers to mark when they achieve new season and lifetimes bests that they then get to take a picture with, which Coach Hilbrandt said is good for the team to physically see their progress throughout the year. In between prelims and finals, she also reads her athletes’ best times to them as motivation. Something else she does for her athletes is gives out coffee cups to the most outstanding athletes in categories like highest points, most improved, and most outstanding.

When she was asked about her overall thoughts on this semester, Coach Hilbrandt said that she has a great group of girls who have been persevering through coaching changes and who are really beginning to trust each other in this “New Era of Redbird Swim and Dive”, and that they are also really looking forward to their new recruits coming in Fall of 2025. She explained that her team is also doing very well not only in the pool, but in the classroom too, as several of the girls have 4.0 GPAs.

Returning after Winter Break, the Redbirds’ first meet will be Senior Day at Horton Pool on January 10 at 12 pm, when they compete against Quincy University Swimming and St. Louis University Diving.