Spotlight on: Erin Irons
By Matt Potter
Staff Reporter

Senior Erin Irons has helped shape the TCU swimming program into a Conference USA powerhouse and plans to help shape the lives of children when she graduates with her master’s degree in May 2005.

Irons, 22, is majoring in special education and has set seven school records, posting the fastest times in TCU history in the women’s 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle relay, 200-meter medley relay, 400-meter freestyle relay and the 800-meter freestyle relay.

“Erin has been unbelievable for this team,” head swimming coach Richard Sybesma said. “She represents the school well in every way, and she has done volumes for our program.”

The oldest of two children, Irons grew up in an athletic family. Her father, Dan, played football for the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants, and her mother, Deb, has trained for a marathon and still works out daily. Her younger brother Lee, 18, plays basketball for Oklahoma Baptist University.

“My family is very sports oriented,” Irons said. “But I’ve never been forced to be involved with sports. If I didn’t want to do something, I didn’t have to.”

Irons began swimming at age 8.

She was a standout athlete for the Midland High School swim team, earning All-American honors three times and winning Midland’s Athlete of the Year in 1999-2000.

As a freshman at TCU, Irons was named the Most Valuable Contributor to the swimming team for the 2000-2001 season. That year, not only did Irons swimming career change, but her life also changed.

She became a Christian.

Irons said religion has really helped her with swimming.

“It takes all the stress and pressure away because I know that everything is in God’s hands and I trust him with everything He has in store,” Irons said.

Swimming and school take up most of Irons’ time, but she also stays involved with church and a Bible study.

“Right now, I’m part of a women’s Bible study affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ,” she said. “Its had a huge impact on me.”

Irons has continued to excel in swimming throughout her sophomore and junior years, and is now the captain of the swim team.

“She’s a leader who leads by example and walks the walk in and out of the pool,” Sybesma said.

Sophomore teammate Jennifer Antisdale said Irons is a team captain who is very approachable.

“She’s friendly, and she’s always there to help,” Antisdale said. “She knows how to make everyone laugh, and she is always encouraging everyone in practice and in meets.”

Both coaches and professors alike have praised Irons’ leadership skills.

Mary Patton, an associate professor of early childhood education, said Irons is a quiet leader who has the respect of other students.

“Erin is an outstanding student who is very compassionate,” Patton said. “She’s extremely well-liked, she knows about team work and she has the respect of all of her classmates.”

Sybesma said Irons has helped the program in numerous ways with the leadership and dedication she shows in practice and in meets.

“She’s amazing as a person, an athlete and in terms of leadership,” Sybesma said. “She does what she needs to do and what she’s supposed to do to help this team.”

The soft-spoken, well-liked senior plans on teaching for a couple years after earning her master’s degree in special education. Irons is taking advantage of TCU’s 3-2 program, which allows her to begin working on her master’s degree before completing her bachelor’s degree.

“I have a passion for children and education, so I think I’m going to teach for a couple years and then I plan on working in special education,” Irons said.

Although Irons has seemingly excelled in everything she has done in life, not everything in her life has been perfect. In the third grade, she was diagnosed with dyslexia.

“School has sometimes been a struggle for me,” Irons said. “The thing I struggle with most is focusing. When I take tests, I usually have to go into a room by myself or put ear plugs in. Otherwise, I get distracted and can’t focus at all.”

Irons said she appreciates that TCU has smaller classes and tutors who have helped her adjust to college, especially in her freshman and sophomore years.

Irons still has to fight to focus on occasion, but she has defeated her learning disability, just like all of the C-USA opponents she’s faced this year.

Irons said she is sad it’s her senior year and her swimming career is almost over but that she is looking forward to having more free time to spend with her friends and family.

“Swimming is a very time-consuming sport, and the one thing that I’m looking forward to is having a little bit more free time,” she said.

But don’t think just because Irons is about to graduate she’s done with athletics. She said she plans on training for a triathlon once she has graduated.

And before that, she has a chance of making it to the 2004 Olympics.

She said her main goal, however, is qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 50-meter freestyle but that if she did make the Olympic trials, she would definitely pursue it.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” Irons said. “If my times are fast enough I could qualify for the trials at any meet, but right now I’m focused on our meet in December.”