Columbus North’s Paige Maddox competes in the 200-yard freestyle during a swim meet against Franklin at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021.
The Republic file photo
When University of Southern Indiana announced earlier this week that its athletics program was making the jump from Division II to Division I, a couple of Columbus North athletes took particular interest.
Senior swimmers Paige Maddox and Brooke Meek had committed to swim for the Screaming Eagles beginning this fall. Now, they’ll do it as Division I athletes.
“It was pretty exciting to know that we get to be a part of something so big and so good,” Meek said.
Not only will USI be competing in Division I for the first time, the swimming program will be a first-year outfit at the Evansville school.
“I feel like we’re paving the way for future teams,” Maddox said.
“You get to set everything,” Meek added. “You get to be the first ones to be there. The pool is new, so you’re really the face of the team.”
The Screaming Eagles hired Cameron Kainer as its first men’s and women’s swimming coach in August. Maddox and Meek, who committed early in the high school season, were two of Kainer’s first recruits.
“He had mentioned to us that there was a possibility that the school could be moving up to D-I, but we found out just the other day,” Maddox said. “I think it is bigger opportunities and bigger schools that we can compete against, so I’m excited.”
Maddox was the Bull Frogs’ top swimmer this season. She finished third in the 500-yard freestyle and fifth in the 200 freestyle in Monday’s North Sectional finals.
Maddox also had offers from Quincy and Aquinas College. She is undecided on a major at USI.
“I really enjoyed the campus,” Maddox said. “I thought the athletic facility that they had built was really nice, and I really enjoyed the coach. I thought that what he wanted to build for the program was something that I wanted to be a part of. I think we’re really just trying to set the foundation for the next four years.”
Meek finished sixth in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the 100 freestyle at the sectional. She also had offers from Shawnee State and Aquinas.
Meek plans to major in exercise science at USI.
“I looked at the campus, and I really enjoyed it,” Meek said. “They built a brand new pool, and it was really nice, so I was excited. We’ll hopefully just do well and prove to them that we have what it takes to be D-I.”
Maddox and Meek were two of 10 North seniors to participate in a signing ceremony Thursday at North. The others were Sarah Bennett (Marian volleyball), Rachel Cowan (Transylvania softball), Matthew Hager (Taylor football), Luke Hammons (Centre football), Reagan Kane (Wittenberg volleyball), Neal Likens (Hillsdale football), Jaxson Scruggs (Indiana Wesleyan football) and Zach Wager (Tennessee-Martin baseball).
