Squad Energy (NCAA Women)

What's up everybody?
Welcome back to another week of Unfiltered Waters.
I am still here in Atlanta when I am filming this, but when you're watching this episode, we have made it through men's and women's NCAA championships.
And oh my gosh, if you tuned in, you know how incredible the races were.
And I was so blessed to be able to sit down with Elizabeth Beisel and talk to some of these incredible athletes before they kicked off their illustrious performances.
So this week we welcome Anna Moshe, Tori Husk, Gillian Cox, and Camille Spink all talking squad energy.
We wanted to know what their traditions were leading into NCAAs, how they hold each other accountable, how they have fun, what they like to do, hobbies outside of the pool, as well as, you know, if they had a crystal ball and they were looking into it before the meet, what would make them proud and smile when they look at it?
And most of them predicted the future perfectly.
So I'm really excited to share these conversations with you all.
I know that they won't disappoint.
Of course, before we let you go, make sure you hit that subscribe button.
Very much appreciated.
But without further ado, please enjoy this episode of Squad Energy.
So I feel like as soon as the first week you feel improvement in your energy, in your digestion.
And then after about a month, I'd say my sleep quality definitely improved.
And then after the first couple months, again, taking it every single day, um, you know, making sure my immunity was there, not getting sick as much.
And then now after a few months, I feel like just cellular regeneration, recovery, you know, I'm working out a ton, I'm training, I'm always on a plane.
And so being able to make sure that not only am I taking it when I'm home, but when I'm, you know, going to the airport, I'm in a hotel, I'm in crazy places.
I know that I have these packets because I hate checking bags.
So being able to have this in my carry-on, have these little tiny convenient sachets is huge.
Um, and so make sure that when you're taking these supplements, you are consistent so that you can feel the effects.
Annamos, welcome to Unfiltered Waters Squad Energy Edition.
Thank you for having me.
Yes.
Um, let's get right into it.
Virginia is going for six feet.
First time ever in a women's sport in the NCAA.
What makes this team capable of doing it?
I think this year is just the most excited and most motivated our team has ever been.
I mean, like the energy that I've seen at practice over the last few months is something like I've never seen before, and we've all just prepared for this meet so well and done so much to get to this point that I think that now that we're here, we're just so excited to do what we can do and see how it goes.
And I think we're all just super excited about it.
Yeah.
What are your guys' go-to traditions leading up to the meet?
Traditions.
Um, I mean, I mean and my friend Amy behind the block have like a foot top.
That's not really a that's not really a tradition before the meet, but um I'm so looking for it to be.
We also like always do speeches, so the first like two, two and a half weeks out of the meet, whatever, um, everyone gives a speech kind of every day leading up, and it all gets you just super hype and excited and motivated, and I think it's a really special moment that we all share, and yeah, it's been really fun.
The speeches this year have also been so good, so much better than anything I've ever heard.
Um, but yeah, it's super motivating and exciting and fun.
Okay, so if I were a recruit and I was looking to swim at Virginia, how would you sell Virginia to me?
Um, okay.
Sell me this.
Right.
Like, how do I know why Virginia is the best team in the NCAA?
I mean, I think I could list eight million reasons reasons.
It's just the best place on earth for every reason under the sun.
Um, the people here are gonna be your best friends, and as crazy as it sounds, you're not gonna get sick of them being with them seven days a week, every single day.
Um, and then being in the pool with them, like just the level of commitment and how hard these people train is something that's so inspiring inspiring and it mo motivates me every single day.
And um, it's just such an environment that I've couldn't ask for a better environment to swim in, and I couldn't expect anything more um from high school, and I'm just so happy to be here, and it's the best place ever.
But yeah.
Sold.
How do you guys hold each other accountable?
I feel like that's the hardest thing.
I think um, like I've kind of talked about a little bit, just in practice, um, everyone is just so fast all the time, and vibes are so up all of the time, even if it's the worst of worst sets, the hardest Gary long course I am set we've ever done.
Um vibes are always high.
Even if you're crying, you'll smile and laugh through the pain.
Yeah, I think we're always just there cheering for each other and saying, like, it's gonna be okay, we're gonna get through it.
And um, I think that's helped us all collectively just do amazing all year.
Yeah.
I think when a team is so accomplished like Virginia is, each of you play a different role.
No matter if you're the highest point scorer, you're like part of the cheer squad.
What would you say your role is on Virginia?
That's a good question.
Um, I would hope that it's um kind of a charismatic role and that I kind of lift people up and I'm always trying to try to be in a good mood at practice, and um, I always get there and I'm kind of happy to be there.
And um, I think I always kind of have a fun time at practice, even if it means joking through the hard sets and stuff.
But um yeah, I would hope that other people would say that about me.
I too have like the good energy.
Yeah, yeah.
Can you give us like a 30 to 45 second sample of your speech?
Yeah.
I think so.
Like pump us up.
Yeah, like a little bit of like tomorrow, let's go.
Okay, I think.
Oh gosh, I'm trying, I'm trying to remember it was a couple of days ago.
Um, something about just like do it for everyone.
I kind of mentioned our fourth year is leaving, do it for the fourth years, do it for the coaches, do it for your teammates that who've all been by your side, and then kind of just do it for yourself.
Like you're the only one who knows how much pain you've gone through this year and how how many times you've been beat down, how many times you've gotten back up.
So just do it for yourself and it's gonna work out.
Um, and then I think just kind of trust the process.
Like, we have no reason to feel nervous going into this meet.
I think we got all the nerves out of the way with all the sets we've been doing all year, and so just trust that and trust the process, and I think it's gonna be a good, and just overall, I think I emphasize that it's just gonna be a fun, fun meet.
And like last year I had the best time, and so I'm so excited for this year, and I think it's just gonna be really fun all around.
And so I think just that, just to have fun with it, and yeah, I love that you can feel that too, especially like I mean, that not that it's an elephant in the room, but going for something as historic as a six peat, you can still be like, Yes, that's there, but we can also have fun.
And is that something that you've talked about all season?
Like, is it or has it just been like the unspoken, like we know what to do?
Yeah, I think a little bit of both.
Probably like we all know that we want to have fun and just enjoy what we're doing because it is so hard, but also like, yeah, we do kind of say like nothing's that serious.
If you have a terrible practice, like brush it off, it's gonna be okay.
You're meant you're in this sport, you join this sport to have fun, so just to live that through.
Yeah, yeah.
It's a good reminder.
Can you walk us through your nail inspo, please?
Yeah.
Um, I actually like kind of made it.
So I was on Pinterest scrolling through, and I found like this pink set.
And so I like then there was like a nail that she couldn't do on it, and it was like some cheetah thing.
So I found I pulled it from another set and like added it on here.
And so I got it all pink, and then I went home and I was like, crap, like I feel like navy blue might be good luck.
So I called and I was like, I'm so sorry.
Like, could I please come redo the nails?
Like, I love them, but like I really wish I got blue.
Oh my god.
And so I went back and she was like, Yes, and so I'm happy with that.
Okay, good.
But yeah, that was kind of my I feel like I've always gotten blue for our meets, and we always kind of like to do fun designs.
So yeah.
We're not gonna mess with a good thing.
Yeah, yeah.
No, we're good.
They look great.
Yeah, I think.
All right, last question.
If you had to put a word specifically to this team this year, what would that word be and why?
I would say gritty, which is something that Claire is looking at me for because I kind of stole it from her, but I liked it.
Sorry.
The look of audacity.
I went first.
I'm gonna say gritty because I think winter training and just the beginning of the season was some of the hardest training we've probably ever seen.
And I think getting to ACCs, knowing we weren't on our full taper and the last relay and all that stuff, like we all just had to remember our goal in mind and just keep working no matter the pain, because at the end of the day, like how you feel doesn't matter at all.
And so I think we just had to work through that.
Um, yeah.
Yeah, like that.
Gritty.
Can't wait to watch you guys this weekend.
Thanks, Anna.
Thank you.
Tori Husk, welcome to Unfiltered Waters Squad Energy Edition.
Thank you.
Tori Um You are one of the most clutch swimmers that probably I I don't want to speak for you, but we've probably ever seen.
How much of that is because of the team and the culture that you've kind of like cultivated at Stanford?
Yeah, I mean it's it's pretty much all like yeah, I I give like credit pretty much exclusively to the team and like my coaches.
Um after Tokyo, I feel like I really needed to change.
And so I feel like I just dove s right into like Stanford Headfirst in my class at the time, like they just like picked me right up.
And I've just like been having so much fun with Stanford ever since.
Like it's um, they're the reason why I like love swimming and why like I'm excited to like get in the water each day.
So chills.
That's so nice to hear somebody say that they love it.
That's great.
Do you guys have any really fun traditions that you've carried through leading up to NCAAs?
Um we definitely have traditions.
I think the first thing that comes to mind is circuit.
I think did Lucy Bell already talk about this?
No.
Okay.
Um, this is something that we do in the beginning of the year.
And um, it's something that we actually did with Greg also, and then we carried it on this year.
Um, Chris asked us in the beginning of the year if there were any like traditions or like non-negotiables that we wanted to like carry on, and that was one of the things that we chose.
And it's basically just um everyone in the weight room has a pair and there's a station, and you have to complete like all 12 stations within like an hour.
And if anyone messes up, then you all go backwards and you have to do each station like perfectly for 30 seconds.
So I feel like it teaches us a lot about like accountability because like when we mess up, we have to scream like stop, and then like we either they either tell us to like stay or go back, and just kind of how to like handle like pressure, and it's like it's a very special thing because it's the first time each year that like our team comes together and like does something really hard together.
Yeah, so it's it's a lot of fun.
Is that at the beginning of the year?
Yeah, that's at the beginning of the year.
Um, I'm trying to think of more recent traditions.
We have a tradition also, this is like more NC and ACC related.
Um, but the seniors will come up with like a team t-shirt for ACCs and then also for NCs.
So you'll see that later in the week.
But yeah, we designed like a t-shirt.
I don't have it on me right now, but there's actually like a silly little mess up with this one this year.
Um, which I'm gonna tell you, even though you probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise, but like it actually has the wrong year on it.
And we like all of us seniors also we all approved it and we just didn't notice until some like we showed like the team, and then someone was like, No, it says 2025 on it.
We were like, Oh, that's our bad, but it's it's fine.
It's still a very cute shirt.
So yeah, okay, we like that.
It's still cute.
Thank God.
Yeah, um, with this being your last NCs at Stanford, is there anything like almost like a legacy that you want to try to leave behind?
Um I feel like the Stanford legacy in general, it's just like we've learned so much and like been given so much just because of the people who like have set the standard before us.
And I hope to like uphold that.
But I feel like my goal this year is just like have a lot of fun with the team.
And that kind of was what one of the shirts was about actually this year.
We the you there's usually some sort of special meaning about it, and this year on the back of um the NCAA one, we had the giving tree, and it was supposed to represent like legacy and all those who have come before you and like everything that they've given you.
And then like now it's like at NC's like it's your time turn to like give back.
And then yeah, on the front of the tree, also, or on the front of front of the shirt, there's like a tree stump um showing the rings, and each ring represents a time our program has won an NCAA championship.
So it's like a kind of play on where it's like rings.
I love little Easter eggs like that.
I love that book's like the one of my favorite books.
Yeah.
I know you're a very humble person, so this might be a very difficult question, but what do you feel like someone, a freshman, would come in and say that something you left behind, whether it was a quality or a skill set or just a lesson?
I would probably that I'm just like really like goofy or unserious.
I feel like I'm really, really serious on deck at meets, but I feel like my meet personality is totally different from like who I am at practice every single day.
Um, yeah, I feel like I definitely don't take myself too seriously.
Yeah.
Um but at meets I definitely lock in and it's like a different side of me.
Like I like to go mute before my race, like 20 minutes before, and not speak to anyone.
Um, but that's not really who I am on a daily basis.
Yeah.
Is your role on Stanford?
I mean, obviously it's being such a powerhouse athlete, but is it but is it also an element of like, hey, like don't take this too serious?
Like, let's let's have fun with this.
I don't think I'm ever like voicing that explicitly.
Yeah.
Um, I'm just trying to like have fun with it kind of.
Just with your energy.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
Do you have anything that when you look back on this final year that you're hoping to remember or cherish or you know, a specific memory?
Um that is like upcoming or that has already happened?
Or this episode's gonna air after NCAA's.
So I guess if you're looking at a crystal ball and you look into it, what do you want to see?
I think I mean this last season is special just because it's I'm gonna continue swimming.
Um so I'm gonna continue like being with the team, but it won't be the same like getting to compete again like with the NCAA and like with my team in the same way.
So I feel like I just really want to like soak in these moments.
Um, especially since I kind of got a taste of what that's like um my gap year.
Like I was with the team all the time, but like sometimes my schedule was a little bit different, and like I would be tapering when they would be like gearing up or like in heavy training, and then vice versa.
So I'm still gonna be with them.
So I it's not like I have to say goodbye yet to like the sport and also to like most of my teammates.
Obviously, like the seniors.
Um, it'll be sad like saying goodbye to them, but I feel like I just really want to soak in these moments of like NCAA swimming one last time.
Yeah.
What do you think you'll miss most about NCAA swimming?
Um, I feel like the team environment at a competition when you all just like come together like NCs is like the prime example of that.
Like it's it's so much fun, and there's like a lot on the line, but it's just so much fun to like get up there and like race with your girls and like seeing their success.
Like, I think one of the most memorable moments I have of like actual swims was like last year in the eat-free relay.
I wasn't even like swimming it, but just like seeing them celebrate, and like it was just so amazing to like be a part of that, even though I wasn't on that relay.
It's just like celebrating these moments together.
That was an awesome relay.
How do you guys celebrate?
Like in the locker room or on the bus?
Like, what do you guys do?
Um I don't really know.
I mean, you saw a little bit, like it's like you we everyone like goes out to the end of someone's lane after like they they win, and like everyone like gives them a hug.
So it's just like little things like that.
We do shout-outs a lot.
Um actually at the end of each Saturday, we do shout-outs for like that entire week, and it just really helps cultivate like a more positive atmosphere.
Oh, like during the season, you do that.
I like I love that.
I think Chris and Annie also like it.
Yes.
Um, maybe even more than we do, just because they like, I think, hearing what we have to say.
Um but yeah, it's it's it's a lot of fun.
Do you do the shout out?
Like like Tori would get up in front of everybody and Lucy had a great Yeah, it's usually like in the hot tub, and you're like, I'd like to shout out like Oh my god.
Um like she was a great interviewer and like I had so much fun.
Like it would be like something like that, for example.
And does everybody have to go or is it?
No, it's just like it's just full of unprompted and specific compliments.
Yeah, right?
It was one of my favorite type of compliments.
Yeah, yeah.
I love that.
Me too.
All right, last question.
If you had to put a word to your team that just embodies who they are this year, what would you say?
Um, I wish I didn't hear Lucy Bell's answer beforehand because afterwards I was like, oh, like fun is a really good one.
So I'll choose a different one.
I feel like resilient, um, especially after last year's change and like that transition and being able to like um like there was so much that happened in the spring, and like to be able to come back from that and like be so strong this year, I feel like that speaks a lot to like how close our team is.
Yeah, yeah.
I think that's like what probably carried you guys through that, which is amazing.
Yeah.
Uh well Tori, good luck this week.
We're thinking hard, last one.
Yeah, yeah.
You're gonna be awesome.
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I am sitting here on the seven-meter in Georgia Tech Aquatic Center two days before the women's swimming and diving national championships.
And when you think about women's swimming and diving national championships, you have to think of Arena.
Last year, four of the five teams that placed in the top five were utilizing Arena as their main competition suits.
And of course, they are the exclusive partner to UVA, who is now going for their sixth national championships this year.
I think the other you really unique thing about Arena is that they are innovating constantly.
There is legitimately no other brand that has come out with three tech suits in the last five years.
They had the Glide in 2020, they had the Primo in 2024, and this past season they launched the Veloce, which everyone is raving about.
It is an incredible suit and also gives you the ability to feel customized.
They have different compression for different events, different types of suits for different body types.
I think that's something that's really, really important to me.
You should not be having to think about your tech suit when you're behind the blocks.
And Arena really takes care of that.
They have that consistency because they've actually had the same suit designer since 1973.
And the only reason that the Veloce is the first suit without this incredible legend is that he passed, unfortunately, in COVID.
So that is why I am so proud to be partnering with Arena Sport this week at the Women's Swimming and Diving National Championships.
Go check out all of their product at arenasport.com.
Gillian Cox, welcome to Unfiltered Waters Squad Energy Edition.
Thank you for having me.
I'm very excited to be here.
Yes.
You just flew in yesterday.
We're two days out from NCAA's.
What are you most excited for?
I'm most excited for our team to come together and race.
I love when you feel the energy start.
Like yesterday when we were getting on the plane, everyone started getting really excited for the meet, and I think everyone's getting eager now to race, and I love that we're Just gonna go out there and give it everything together.
I'm so excited.
When you guys travel to the meet, are you a team that matches?
We are.
Okay, tell me the outfit one game.
This time we had a Nike set, and it was a cropped black sweatshirt with a long horn, and then matching sweatpants, and then our shoes, which are our favorite.
I'm wearing them right now.
They're dunks.
Oh wow.
I don't know if you can see that.
Oh yeah.
Um, we were all really excited about our travel outfit today.
I love I love the crap.
Yeah, very cute.
That's super cute.
So part of this, I'll explain what squad energy is.
I just think NCAA teams, there's just such a incredible culture.
And so I want to just I want to talk about more about that today than performances, because performances you can talk about all day long.
But so when you think about your team as a whole, who is the main person to make everyone laugh?
Oh, that I I don't know.
Our whole team is just so funny.
I'd probably say Alexa Fulton.
She's just high energy all the time, hyping everyone up.
And I don't, I mean, our whole like junior class is really stepped up since we don't have any seniors here.
Um, and they get everyone going.
They've done letters for everyone on the team, wishing them luck this week and stuff.
So that's we've got a really good leadership on our team.
What role do you think you play on the team?
I don't know.
I like to hype people up and like joke around, but I'm like you're a goobie goober.
I'm like joking around and stuff, but also I'm so OCD at meats.
So it's good for me that all everyone else is like, no, this is fun.
I'm like, you know what?
Good point.
This is so see fun.
Like, I am having a good time.
I was gonna say, are you like at least I was the same, like so OCD, like so serious, like I've seen you before the blocks.
Yeah are you someone that then goes and tries to find those people and is just like make me laugh, shake me out a bit.
Yeah, whenever we're picking roommates, I always have to pick someone who's high energy and super excited.
Like, I'm rooming with Alexa at this meet, which is awesome.
Like she she makes she's so this is awesome.
And that's such a good reminder because every day I wake up a little bit tense and she's like, No, this you're gonna be you're gonna do great.
Like, this is awesome.
You're gonna go out there and do your best.
And I was like, okay, this is good.
I need to hear this actually.
Yeah, and I'm gonna be fine.
Yeah, it kind of loosens everything up.
Like, I've had so much more fun at every meet with these people because it's it's just fun for everyone, you know?
Yeah.
When you are swimming, and this is a very Gillian Cox question, when you're swimming the 1650 or the 500, who is your counter and why?
Oh, that's good.
Ah, it kind of changes.
Sometimes I forget to get a counter because I'm so artificial.
And I'm like, I'm kind of hoping that Carol catches an eye on it and finds someone to throw someone up there.
Um, usually she does.
Um Meg used to be in my Meg DMRTL, she just retired though.
So I guess I'm looking for a new lap counter.
This has got to this is probably something I should take care of today.
Yeah.
I think I should go I think I should go lock one down, you know?
Well, Katie and I are available.
Yeah, I was gonna be honored.
Yeah, look, let me know.
I need you just in there by like lap 40.
You have some time to figure out which one of you two can get on there for the floor.
I will fight you for that.
Okay, all right.
Or we can like alternate.
Alternate.
Good.
Well, what do you because I feel like this is this is a huge point of contention for me.
At international meets, they just put them on the blocks and they don't put them in the water, which I find so not useful.
Yeah.
How much how much do you rely on the counter for strategy like shaking?
Like, do you have signals that you're looking for?
Before going to a world's meet, I was like, I need to see every single number.
And now I'm like, I don't care.
Put it in there with like five laps to go.
Cause now it's like, yeah, I don't even ever know what lap I'm on.
I mean, I can count myself, but most times I forget.
And really, I'm just as long as there's a bell, like it's like how would I just go off of?
I hate when people shake it.
It scares me because I'm like, oh, am I really doing that bad?
Like, am I messing up right now?
So I tell everyone, don't shake it.
Now the whole team is like so scared of shaking it.
They're like, still is possible.
Yeah.
How much, you know, like talking about squad energy, when you're swimming something like a 1650 or the 500, how much or how aware are you of your team on the side?
And them cheering, does that help you a ton?
Yes.
Yes, okay.
And I don't think that they realize how much I'm looking at them.
Well, you need to tell them.
I know.
Well, um, they always ask, what are you thinking of?
I'm looking at you guys, and I'm like, I'm looking in the stands.
Yeah, I'm looking in the stands, I'm making sure my dad is cheering.
I'm looking at you guys, I'm seeing who's cheering.
Like, I want to know.
You can specifically see that.
Oh, yeah.
She's holding people accountable.
She is.
She gets out and she goes, I'm serious.
You weren't cheering.
I'm serious.
If I just cheered for you this whole week, like I kind of need you to be there too.
Especially in the mile and the five.
Yeah.
Oh, I'm I'm looking.
I'm bored.
It's it's a long race.
And to get your mind off of how much pain you're in, it's kind of important to look at everything else, you know?
So I I I'm looking around.
Just know that.
This week, just know.
I'm gonna I'm gonna like I'm knowing.
I'm gonna be like, Texas girls, Jillian's up.
Cheer now.
That that brings me to like how do you guys hold each other accountable?
Whether it's a practice that meets when it comes to just working your butts off.
Actually, this has been a big topic of conversation this year.
We went to a camp that we do every year in January.
Uh, coaches left us in a room and they were like, just talk about everything that you guys feel you need to get fixed.
Whoa.
We talked for like an hour, really hard conversations.
Um, we need to work on this.
This is something that's dragging us down.
And not calling someone out, being like, you do this and I don't like it, but being like, hey, you do this, and it kind of affects team environment.
I think that we should work on that.
I think that's really important.
I think most teams are scared of having those conversations, and I was too.
I was like, I don't really want to get called out, but I want to know that if I'm doing something or if this person's doing something, like I think it was really productive.
I feel like we came out of that camp a lot closer and we came back hyping each other up so much more than ever.
So I actually really enjoyed that.
That's been great for us.
Wow, that's amazing.
That's just a light.
That's hard to do, too.
It was.
Yeah.
Um is there are there any traditions that Texas women swimming does that have been like kind of ingrained into your culture?
Yeah.
Um of course the line dancing.
Everyone's seen us do dancing.
Do you guys still do that camp at the beginning?
Didn't you guys used to do a camp at the beginning of the year?
Oh, that's the camp.
Yeah.
So we did that in January, and that's so fun.
It's just a retreat.
We just do team bonding.
It's so fun.
I love it.
Where is it?
Well, we've changed this year.
Now we go to Carol, what's the name of that camp?
Camp Finfo.
Oh, yeah.
It's awesome.
Fun is more fun outside.
It's awesome.
No way.
It's really a good time.
Yeah, we get so close.
I wish that we did that in the beginning of the year because you walk out of January and you're like, wow, these people, we are so close now.
Like, this was game changing.
You know everything about everyone after you leave that camp.
It's so good.
That's so cool.
But maybe it's something that you need in January to get you through and civilization.
It's after Christmas training.
And so then you're like, okay, 13 more days until FIFO.
I just gotta make it through.
I just gotta make it.
We had a countdown on our law on our whiteboard in our locker room.
We're like, you just gotta make it through five more days of this hard practice and you get to go to the room.
Oh my god.
That's great.
All right.
Well, this episode will also air after these NCAAs are finished.
So if you had a crystal ball and you could look into it, what would make you proud and just light up about your performances and just time here?
Obviously, there's kind of a lot of pressure from last year.
If I won two events to do it again, that's not necessarily what I'm looking for.
I'm on two barriers right now: 1530 in the mile and then 430 in the 500.
If I can break those barriers and I got 15th, I don't care.
It would be great to break those barriers.
And if not, I just want our team to have a great meet and get a trophy.
That'd be awesome.
Yeah.
So I think it'll all of that will happen.
I hope.
You went to Fimfo, of course it's gonna happen.
I mean, like you're ready.
I'm so ready.
You're so ready.
Yeah, exactly.
Um, do you have like your suits?
Like, are you somebody that warms up in a particular practice suit?
I was kind of like that.
Really?
That's I mean, don't put it into my head.
Now I'm gonna have to start planning that stuff out.
No, I'm just kidding.
I just was like, oh, like I want my pink one for 4 I am or whatever.
Our whole team brought like 10 suits.
I have three.
I'm here this whole time.
I have three practice suits.
They have one different one for every practice.
Um whichever one's driest.
Yeah, that one.
Yeah, you're like, I'll take that one, I guess.
It's a little damp, but I guess I'll go.
It's wet.
Yeah, might as well.
Yeah.
Oh, you're gonna be great this weekend.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
All right.
Last question What is a word that you would use to describe Texas women culture as a whole?
Family, 100%.
We're just so close.
It feels like a family now.
I can't imagine being anywhere else.
I'm so happy where I'm at.
Wow.
Oh no hesitation.
Yeah, that was awesome.
Well, good luck this week.
We'll be screaming and jumping aggressively on the counting, maybe.
Yes, please.
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah, good luck, Jillian.
Thank you.
Camille Spank, welcome to Unfiltered Waters Squad Energy Edition.
Thank you for having me.
You're the perfect person for this little quadrant that we're doing.
Yes.
I hear you are.
So Squad Energy is just talking about, I feel like NCAA is all about team.
It's all about just the spirit and all those things.
So starting off, what are you most excited for?
I'm excited to see like how this new group of girls that we have this year uh takes on like each day.
It's always something different with um our teams constantly changing each year.
And now that I'm more of like a leadership role on the team, I'm excited to see like how me and the other girls in my class and how our two seniors are gonna take on, like kind of letting the younger kids like step up and like kind of be leaders in that role.
Um we have a lot of fun at this meet, and I'm just really excited to see how like some of the newer newer faces like in our group step up and like get really excited for this meet because I know that they're ready.
But it is nerve-wracking.
It is scary coming in NCAAs, but yeah, you have the team with you.
Yeah, what do you think this particular team's special power is?
Like, what's your X factor?
I think for us it's just resilience, like taking a challenge and like stepping up to it and not backing down.
I feel like this group of girls that we have is just so powerful when we're together.
Um, and we I mean, we've had like moments where we know like we need to we need to get together and like we've seen that fail.
And then we know also what else to do to have like the best performances that we can, and it's just lean on each other when you can't trust yourself, like lean on your teammates and lean on the people in your relay and just trust that like you've done the work to be here.
How do you show up as a leader and also show up for yourself?
I've had I've been in the past I've had some difficulty like kind of assigning myself as something more than a person who just like is constant in like her times.
And I feel like a different part of like the leadership that I've had to like teach myself is like I can be so much more than just like oh, this is Camille, like she's gonna be on the relay, like she's gonna swim fast.
I can also be like this is Camille, like I can talk to her after like I've had a bad swim, and she can like clear my head, and I can talk to her about like being really excited about this race, like more than what I can just do in the water.
And that's like something that I've been like trying to get through like this year.
I I see that too, especially like after I get to interview Camille after she wins like everything always.
Like you're I think one thing that Tennessee is really good at is like it doesn't matter if it's Camille winning or Mackenzie or whoever, the entire team goes behind the blocks to celebrate you and then like walks you over to the interview area.
Like so special.
Is that so is that just like natural?
It's always been something that we do, and like in recent years, I've seen other teams like adapt to that and they also go and surround the people after they swim.
Every swim, especially at a conference or an NCAA meet, is so important to the team because you've done so much to get there already.
If you get fifth or sixth in your heat at conference, we're going over, we're celebrating you.
You've done amazing things, and we're just so proud of the people that we put in our finals heats that we just want to celebrate all the time.
Yeah.
The energy is infectious.
Like that NCAA was the first time I had seen all of that last year, and I was like, oh my God, like I wish I had that.
Do I want to be on Tennessee right now?
Like as a gator, I'm like, it's it's so special.
Like it truly, like, it doesn't even matter what we do, like in the pool.
When you have like a good race that you're confident about, even if you're getting like seventh and your whole team like runs over to you, you just feel so much like camaraderie and just love from your team.
Yeah.
That's what we're here to talk about.
Do you guys have like pump up team meetings before a final session?
Like, what does that look like for you guys?
We have so we have team meetings every day, like with our coaches and stuff, but then um for individual stuff, we kind of stick to like our event groups and um like the people that you are maybe like doing finals with, like you'll warm up with them, and then we'll also like do probably our pace with them.
Um, but for like relay groups, um, we do like have like little like small meetings like right before like the race, but it's mainly just um depending on who it is, like we'll either go into a prayer or we'll go into like a really like cool hype up circle, like and just get ready for the event.
Yeah.
What do celebrations look like after a team win in a locker room or after?
Um, usually it's on the bus.
So like on the on the bus ride back, we play like the loudest music.
And um all the girls are like up.
Like we don't let anybody like sit down on the bus like after I walk.
Everyone's up and we're all like moving around and like talking to people and like dancing and stuff.
And after NCAA's, like uh we have a moment for like the seniors, like on the bus ride back from the last session where like they play their favorite song or whatever, and then we all just like like crowd around them, and it's really sweet.
I have full chills.
Yeah.
So you're on the ox.
What are you playing?
What am I playing?
It's a big, big question.
This is maybe the video mess this up.
Oh my gosh.
In 2016, not 2016, when I was 16, um, they they were like, Camille, like we heard your favorite song is the wobble when I was at Olympic Trials, and I was like, Oh, in 2021.
Yeah, I was like, where did you hear that from?
I like had to go with it because I was like, that wasn't accurate.
I just don't know where they got that from.
I was like, I guess.
Sure.
I'm leaning into it.
I guess.
But if I'm on the I'm probably playing like Cermix a lot or like a little baby got back?
Yeah.
Love that.
I love that.
I I I love I love the vibes of the songs.
But all the a lot of the girls on the team, like Don Tolliver.
Okay.
Um, that's more of like hype up, sit-down, like kind of.
Yeah, like we're getting in the zone.
Yeah.
But I like more, I like more like Cermix a lot and like house music and like just like turn-up kind of stuff.
I like remixes.
Okay, I love that.
When you are in the ready room, I know you kind of alluded to like either having a prayer or like a huddle before relay.
Is that how it always is?
Like, are you guys in there without music being present with each other, or are you all kind of doing your own thing?
There's a couple girls that do enjoy like having their headphones on, and I totally respect that.
I will never I don't have my headphones on.
I'm usually talking to everybody in the ready room, even if like they don't kind of talk back to me.
Talking to yourself.
I'm just talking.
I'm like, hey guys, like like what are you doing after this race?
Like, like how I was like, what else do you have?
Like, I'm just super excited.
Like, are you guys excited?
Like, it just getting out of my head, like, um, and focusing on like the real like people part of it.
Like, it's just I every race before SECs, I said, this is a game that I play, and I get paid to do it, and I have fun with my friends, and I get to do it every day, and that's a blessing.
And that's what I said to myself like before every race, and I didn't feel any pressure, I didn't have anything like holding me down, and I just swam free, and it was awesome.
Yeah, can we get a little information around the nail inspo?
Okay, so I have like a I have like an inspo picture for it, and like the guys did exactly what I told them to do.
Yeah, so I was just looking up like I don't know if this is right or not.
They might be Y2K, I'm not sure.
Okay.
I don't know, but I was just looking up like cool nail inspo.
I wanted to do some gems on it, but I thought that might rip my tech suit.
So we went with like cool flame-ish barbed wire fine patterns as well.
Yeah, with like a cute little ombre under it.
I thought it was really cute.
Like we said earlier, we were like, it's girly, but it's also like don't cross me.
Also, like yeah, also like they'll touch you out.
Yeah, yeah, like I'm not here to be your friend.
This little bit's gonna touch you out.
Yeah, yeah.
Absolutely.
As it should.
Are they your real nails or acrylic?
They're acrylic.
Okay, yeah, I was gonna say I wish my real nails could grow this long, but I think they're deteriorating in the chlorine.
Probably.
I think it's a chlorine thing for sure.
It has to be.
Yeah, it has to be.
Well, they look great.
Thank you.
Yeah.
All right, last question.
If you could describe your team in one word, what would it be?
Um It's hard because there's so many good words.
No, you just cut out a couple, there's no rules.
Um I would say uh like loyal to each other, to our process, to ourselves, um, respectful of our coaches and the pool and the places that we get to compete, and just um just together.
We're so involved in being together, and I think it takes you out of being so focused on your own races and yourself.
Beautiful.
Yeah, I want to be your teammate one day.
Do I have one more year of eligibility?
There's time definitely not eligibility.
I have I have four years.
There's yeah, there's time.
They're so lucky to have you for me.
Good luck this week.
Thank you so much.
It's so fun.