Growing up, Katharine Ross always loved to perform. It didn’t matter what she was doing — ballet, tumbling or something else — she liked showcasing her talents.
“All those things that I did, I never really enjoyed the practice part of it, but I just love the performance,” she said.
When she was 12 years old, the Iowa native decided to focus on what she did best. She quit all of her activities except one: swimming.
Ross is now a senior and was voted captain of the Missouri swim team. She is an All-American breaststroker and excels when it matters most: race time. Just like when she was little, she loves to perform.
“Every race, I have a choice to make this a great race,” Ross said. “I’m in control of it. It’s mine.”
Ellie Suek is Ross’ close friend. The two are both senior swimmers, and they roomed together at Southeastern Conference Championships in 2015.
Suek says her friend is a fun, comforting presence on the team. When it’s time to race, though, Ross is completely focused.
“She’s just really fierce,” Suek said. “You see her behind the blocks, and she’s just got that look to her. You always know that it’s going to be fast, but you never know just how good it’s going to be.”
The combination of Ross’ mental and physical abilities has made her one of the most decorated swimmers in Missouri history. She is the program’s first SEC champion and placed fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke at last season’s NCAA Championships.
The national stage was nothing new to Ross when she came to Columbia. As a 16-year-old, she qualified for Olympic Trials in the 100-meter breaststroke. She had fun, but she said the experience was overwhelming.
Ross felt a difference when she swam at her second Olympic Trials this summer. She felt like she belonged.
Ross posted a best time of 1:07.94 in the 100-meter breaststroke, earning the No. 11 seed for semifinals. She ultimately finished 16th and was one of five current Mizzou swimmers to advance past preliminaries.
“[Making semifinals] meant a lot to me because I got to represent Mizzou,” she said. “I think a lot of people really started to notice us.”
Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh said Ross’ improvement comes as a result of her hard work and belief in the Missouri program.
He can remember when Ross first visited Missouri on a recruiting trip. He said he was impressed with her speed, and the two connected.
“Katharine comes from a Christian home, so we had very like-minded philosophies,” he said. “She had to decide whether she wanted to come to a Christian college or come to a secular college and try to live a Christian lifestyle.”
Ross feels she made the right choice. At Missouri, she has been exposed to other cultures and ways of thinking that have strengthened her faith.
Now, four years after her first visit, Ross is in the midst of her final season of collegiate swimming. She has high hopes for the Missouri program this season. She wants the team to finish in the top 10 at NCAA Championships, and she is excited to help the team’s medley relays.
Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh hopes Ross can place even higher than last year in the 100-yard breaststroke at this season’s NCAA Championships. He also thinks she can place in the top eight in the 200-yard breaststroke and score points for the team in the 200-yard individual medley.
Both in and out of the pool, Rhodenbaugh feels Ross is a strong fit with the Missouri program. She’s wise, compassionate and not flashy. And now, as a senior, Ross feels she can now lead both by actions and words.
“I’ve been able to help lead the team by example through swimming and kind of leading us at our meets and things like that for a while,” she said. “But now this is finally a time where I think I can take the responsibility to kind of more vocally take charge of the team and be able to hopefully influence some people in that way.”
_Edited by Theo DeRosa | tderosa@themaneater.com_
