EDWARDSVILLE - Kyla Calvin, 15. made a bit of history in a Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association dual meet between her Montclaire Swim Club team and Paddlers Swim Club of Granite City on July 10, 2025, when she broke a pool record in the girls 15-18 100-yard freestyle race.
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Calvin set a new pool record of 1:01.47 to win the race, breaking the old mark of 1:02.72. set by the Marlins' Bailey Grinter in 2014. It was a big result in the Marlins' win over the Pirates in the girls meet, and overall as well.
During an interview in a break in the meet, Calvin thought her season has gone along very well, and she has been having a lot of fun with her teammates.
Calvin, in fact, has taken on an additional role as an assistant coach to head coach Gus Nugent, coaching an older group during the morning practice sessions, then eight-to-10-year-old swimmers in the middle part of the sessions, then much-younger swimmers eight-and-under to finish up he sessions. Coaching the younger swimmers, especially, is very rewarding work for her.
"Yes, it is," Calvin said. "I love the little kids, I love interacting with them, and having a lot of fun with them."
With the SWISA Championship meet coming up July 20, 2025, at Summers-Port Swim Club in Godfrey, now is a good time to be peaking and swimming your best for the final meet. Calvin thinks she's approaching her peak at this time.
"Yeah, I'm actually very pumped about SWISA," Calvin said. "I'm hoping to break some more records at SWISA."
Possibly breaking records and doing well at the SWISA meet was one of her goals as the season began last month.
"That was one of my goals coming into the season," Calvin said, "was to break as many records as possible."
As far as the SWISA meet itself goes, she's confident that she and the Marlins will do well and contend for the title.
"I'm hoping for our team to be really well the rest of the season," Calvin said and I am also hoping to do well in my events."
She also gave credit to all the swimmers she had coached this summer as well.
"I am just very happy to be coaching here," Calvin said. "This is my first year, and breaking a record is just amazing for me. I broke a record when I was actually eight-and-under here. I have a pool record in the 50 freestyle here, from eight-and-under, and just breaking another record makes me very happy."
