By Rachel Ewart, Swimming World College Intern
University of West Florida’s Anna Macht completed her senior year as one of the most accomplished swimmers the university has seen. Not only has her athletic success been rewarding individually, but it has also paved the future for the team.
Sculpting the Team
Macht is originally from Markkleeberg, Germany, where she started swimming at age four. She discovered her life passion in the pool and pursued the sport throughout her childhood and into college. Macht was the first recruit to formally commit to UWF’s new swim program. Little did she know that her commitment would lead the the team to some extraordinary feats.
“Anna has impacted our team in a number of ways, both in and out of the water,” UWF head swimming and diving coach Andrew Hancock said. “She is someone of high character who constantly strives to do her best for herself and for her team. It takes a pretty special person to take on the challenge of shaping the direction of, not only their own swimming career, but a entire program as well.”
Hancock believes that Macht has consistently been the team’s best swimmer in the pool and also one of its finest leaders. She has been the driving force behind the program’s identity due to her outstanding athletic talent and positive spirit.
Photo Courtesy: Jim Hogue
Senior Year
In addition to seeing great success her junior year, Macht said her senior year was one of the most rewarding experiences she’s ever had.
“Seniors tend to go in one of two directions,” Hancock said. “They are either in survive-the-season mode with one foot already out the door, or they embrace their final opportunity to represent their team and light it up. Anna certainly was the latter and it will be a difficult task to replace her.”
Although Macht still had off-days at practice, those were the times where she felt the uplifting support of her teammates. With her family overseas, the friendships formed on her team helped carry her through any negative emotions.
“I promised myself at the beginning of the season that I just want to enjoy every single moment with this incredible team, and that’s the approach I took to my last year here,” Macht said. “I practiced hard, but did not want to pressure myself. I just wanted to have fun. That plan worked out really well because I do not think I even had a low this whole season.”
Photo Courtesy: University of West Florida
Finding Self-Discipline
Macht’s was inspired by her teammates and found the ability to push herself harder in order to see the results she wanted. She is very grateful for all the support from her coaches and her team during her collegiate career at UWF.
“Hard work pays off. Sometimes I just didn’t want to hear that it, but now I know it’s very true,” Macht affirmed. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without the help of the coaches here that made swimming fun and enjoyable.”
All of the dedication and time put into the season showed during Macht’s stellar swims at conference championships. She crushed her best times in all of her events, winning both the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke and taking third in the 200 breaststroke.
“Anna made significant improvements across the board as a senior, swimming lifetime bests in every event at conference,” Hancock said. “It was among the most impressive all-around meets that I have seen in my coaching career and it inspired our team to the first conference championship in the history of our program.”
During conference she qualified for NCAAs, where she went on to place fifth in the 200 IM with a school record time of 2:01.79. Individually, Macht now holds school records in the 100 breaststroke and both the 200 and 400 IM.
Wrapping Up A College Career
This talented swimmer is currently considering a few athletic possibilities after college, such as joining a Masters swim team, training for open water swimming or doing triathlons. Regardless of the direction Macht decides to take, her strong work ethic and drive for success will propel her to excellence in her next chapter.
Photo Courtesy: University of West Florida