by Dottie Barnes
photo by Amanda Pitts
 

Remember in the 1970s when the U.S. was going to completely convert to the metric system? The difference between meters and yards may seem small, but Leonie Van Noort, a freestyle swimmer on the Laker women’s team, said the difference “messed up my whole stroke.”

Van Noort, a junior majoring in marketing, transferred to Grand Valley in 2015. An international student from Leiden, Netherlands, she was used to competing in distances measured in meters. It’s safe to say that — by any measure — she adjusted quickly to American pools during her first season on the team.

“Leonie is our first-ever national champion on the women’s side,” said head coach Andy Boyce. “She earned the title in two events — the 200- and 1,650-yard freestyle, and swam both in record-breaking time for Grand Valley.”

In fact, when the season ended in March, Van Noort had broken four additional Grand Valley records — in the 100- (50.92), 500- (4:47.25) and 1,000-yard (9:52:51) freestyle, and also in the 200 back (2:00.65).

She knocked 0.5 seconds off the record for the 100 freestyle set in 2011, and four seconds off the 200 freestyle set in 2014. She crushed the records for the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650 freestyle (by 9 seconds, nearly 14 seconds and nearly 26 seconds, respectively). She was also a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that set a new record this year (7:23.58).

Van Noort is poised to break national records next year.

“My goal for next year is to break the national record in the 1,000-yard freestyle,” she said. “I went 9:52 this year and the national record is 9:50. I’m aiming for 9:48.”

Not bad for someone who cried at age 5 because she hated swimming so much. Swimming lessons are mandatory in the Netherlands and Van Noort said, eventually, she got used to it. She said her mother used to swim, her father can’t swim and her two older brothers
don’t swim. But, there are pictures of her grandfather swimming competitively.

“I think I get my talent from my grandfather. When I realized I was a good swimmer, I stuck with it,” she said.

Van Noort won her first national competition for her age group at 11. She said she had good coaches in the Netherlands who taught her proper technique, like how to breathe every three strokes instead of every two. “I worked hard to get that down; many people don’t,” she said.

Grand Valley was on her radar after she saw the success of her friend Sven Kardol, who came to Grand Valley from the Netherlands in 2012 to compete on the men’s swim team. Van Noort said since arriving at the university, she’s worked hard with long distance coach Justin Vasquez to transition from being an open water swimmer.

“Leonie is a very focused swimmer and very competitive,” said Vasquez. “When you combine those characteristics, focusing on the little details and the process of getting better daily with the spirit of competing, you have a special athlete — someone who is going to accomplish great things. That’s what you get in Leonie.”

Van Noort said practices here are more intense and that has been good for her. “Coach Justin has been working with me to keep my head low when I breathe and not to breathe coming off the wall,” she said.

Banner year at nationals

At the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving National Championships in Indiana in March, the men’s and women’s teams made program history.

Leonie Van Noort helped lead the women’s team to its highest finish ever with a fifth-place win; the Laker men finished seventh. Besides Van Noort’s first-place wins in the 200 and 1,650 freestyle, she placed second in the 500 and 1,000 freestyle.

The Lakers earned 59 All-America honors (28 men, 31 women) and set seven school records. On the men’s side, Gianni Ferrero won the national championship in the 100 butterfly and Brad Dalrymple won the national title in one-meter diving.

The national champion is known for “attacking practice” and motivating all her teammates. “She will get out there and push the men,” said Boyce. “She will slide over to the men’s lanes and push them, and they push her. So, it’s a good combination.”

Van Noort said she loves being on a team and values the support teammates give each other.

“I was used to swimming alone at home because no one really swims long distance there,” she said. “Here, I have a whole team around me and that’s amazing. It has really helped me a lot. They push you in whatever you do.”

Van Noort said she and her teammates are counting on being GLIAC champs next year; they placed second this year. Van Noort placed first in the 200-, 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles at the GLIAC Championships in February.