Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Mariah Denigan Shows Promise in and out of the Pool
Even though she said she isn’t named for anyone in particular, Mariah Denigan’s first name is quite iconic.
When it comes to her middle name, however, it’s equally iconic and even biblical.
“Promise is my middle name,” said the Indiana University freshman distance swimmer. “We are a devout Christian family, and my grandpa was reading the Bible and read ‘God’s Promise’ in the Old Testament and said that should be part of my name.
“My mom was against it being my first name, but she liked it for my middle name. I think it would have been an equally cool first name.”
Promise is something Denigan has displayed in the pool since her early days. She started swimming in her grandmother’s backyard pool.
A few years later, she joined her cousin as 7-year-olds for swim lessons because “she got food after lessons,” and decided she liked it so much, she stuck with it.
“My coach thought I was really talented (in the water) and suggested I join the summer league team with the Northern Kentucky Clippers, so I did,” she said. “I fell in love with the sport. I played soccer and basketball, but by the time I was 13, I knew swimming was my future.”
It wasn’t much longer after that when Denigan—who naturally gravitated to distance freestyle events—found her way into open water competition.
And while she still competes in the pool for the Indiana Hoosiers and in most National meets, Denigan said this summer is different than the rest – largely because she qualified for the 2022 Open Water World Aquatic Championships in Portugal on May 28, where she will attempt to qualify for the U.S. roster at the 2022 FINA Open Water World Championships this June.
Her second-place finish in the 10K at last month's Open Water National Championships in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., earned her a spot on the team – and a legitimate shot at making the 2024 Olympic team in open water.
Denigan said while she’s not a big fan of swimming in water that doesn’t allow her to see what’s around and below her—as in blooms of jellyfish and other aquatic life—she loves the freedom and aggressive competition of open water swimming.
She also loves the strategy involved with open water — to lead of swim with the pack, when to feed during the race, when to make a break from the pack, etc.
She said it drives her motivation and desire to take the occasional elbow to the nose or foot to the lip in an all-out pursuit of the finish line.
“While it may not look like there’s a lot of strategy in open water, there really is, and I love that part of it all,” Denigan said.
And now that longtime open water stalwarts Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell have stepped away from the sport, Denigan said she is ready to pick up the torch and represent the United States.
With that comes a certain level of responsibility and pressure as both Anderson and Twichell were Olympians and World Championship participants — winning numerous medals throughout their careers.
But for her, Denigan said she embraces those expectations and finds motivation in wanting to do her country good in international competitions.
“They always placed high, top 10, so that’s a lot to live up to,” said Denigan, who will be competing in her second international competition when she competes in Portugal in a few weeks. She won the silver medal in the 800 freestyle at 2019 Pan American Games.
“But it’s exciting for me. Each time I race, I gain more confidence. I’m always looking for new ways to approach open water competition, so it’s an exciting adventure that plays out in the water.”
In her most recent race at Open Water Nationals, she started out at the back of the pack, rode the other swimmers’ draft and made her move near the end to finish second to 2020 Olympian Katie Grimes.
When she swims in Portugal in a few weeks, she said she may adopt that same strategy, although she may start out the same and adjust accordingly depending on how things progress.
Regardless, Denigan said she is excited to compete for a spot on the next Olympic team headed to Paris, and she’s ready to enjoy the overall experience from start to finish.
“I love how free it is – it’s a completely different sport (from pool swimming),” she said. “I like that there are no lane lines and it’s the fastest straight line to the finish, who has been stung by numerous jelly fish and bitten by a fish during practices and competitions.
“I still plan to compete in pool events, but this is a more open water-focused summer, and I’m excited to see what happens. Maybe I’ll get the opportunity to compete in both pool and open water at the next Olympics. That would be a dream come true.”
When it comes to her middle name, however, it’s equally iconic and even biblical.
“Promise is my middle name,” said the Indiana University freshman distance swimmer. “We are a devout Christian family, and my grandpa was reading the Bible and read ‘God’s Promise’ in the Old Testament and said that should be part of my name.
“My mom was against it being my first name, but she liked it for my middle name. I think it would have been an equally cool first name.”
Promise is something Denigan has displayed in the pool since her early days. She started swimming in her grandmother’s backyard pool.
A few years later, she joined her cousin as 7-year-olds for swim lessons because “she got food after lessons,” and decided she liked it so much, she stuck with it.
“My coach thought I was really talented (in the water) and suggested I join the summer league team with the Northern Kentucky Clippers, so I did,” she said. “I fell in love with the sport. I played soccer and basketball, but by the time I was 13, I knew swimming was my future.”
It wasn’t much longer after that when Denigan—who naturally gravitated to distance freestyle events—found her way into open water competition.
And while she still competes in the pool for the Indiana Hoosiers and in most National meets, Denigan said this summer is different than the rest – largely because she qualified for the 2022 Open Water World Aquatic Championships in Portugal on May 28, where she will attempt to qualify for the U.S. roster at the 2022 FINA Open Water World Championships this June.
Her second-place finish in the 10K at last month's Open Water National Championships in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., earned her a spot on the team – and a legitimate shot at making the 2024 Olympic team in open water.
Denigan said while she’s not a big fan of swimming in water that doesn’t allow her to see what’s around and below her—as in blooms of jellyfish and other aquatic life—she loves the freedom and aggressive competition of open water swimming.
She also loves the strategy involved with open water — to lead of swim with the pack, when to feed during the race, when to make a break from the pack, etc.
She said it drives her motivation and desire to take the occasional elbow to the nose or foot to the lip in an all-out pursuit of the finish line.
“While it may not look like there’s a lot of strategy in open water, there really is, and I love that part of it all,” Denigan said.
And now that longtime open water stalwarts Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell have stepped away from the sport, Denigan said she is ready to pick up the torch and represent the United States.
With that comes a certain level of responsibility and pressure as both Anderson and Twichell were Olympians and World Championship participants — winning numerous medals throughout their careers.
But for her, Denigan said she embraces those expectations and finds motivation in wanting to do her country good in international competitions.
“They always placed high, top 10, so that’s a lot to live up to,” said Denigan, who will be competing in her second international competition when she competes in Portugal in a few weeks. She won the silver medal in the 800 freestyle at 2019 Pan American Games.
“But it’s exciting for me. Each time I race, I gain more confidence. I’m always looking for new ways to approach open water competition, so it’s an exciting adventure that plays out in the water.”
In her most recent race at Open Water Nationals, she started out at the back of the pack, rode the other swimmers’ draft and made her move near the end to finish second to 2020 Olympian Katie Grimes.
When she swims in Portugal in a few weeks, she said she may adopt that same strategy, although she may start out the same and adjust accordingly depending on how things progress.
Regardless, Denigan said she is excited to compete for a spot on the next Olympic team headed to Paris, and she’s ready to enjoy the overall experience from start to finish.
“I love how free it is – it’s a completely different sport (from pool swimming),” she said. “I like that there are no lane lines and it’s the fastest straight line to the finish, who has been stung by numerous jelly fish and bitten by a fish during practices and competitions.
“I still plan to compete in pool events, but this is a more open water-focused summer, and I’m excited to see what happens. Maybe I’ll get the opportunity to compete in both pool and open water at the next Olympics. That would be a dream come true.”