On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Devin Trammel ’21, along with six other athletes, will commit to a college athletic program.

“I decided on the University of Arkansas because I absolutely loved the coaches and the team really seemed to fit me in well. They have an amazing swimming program along with a beautiful campus so I knew it was the perfect choice for me,” Trammel said.

Trammel has been swimming for the past 13 years through different clubs and swim teams.

“When I was young, I really liked playing in the pool. It was always something I could never leave behind, always something I’ve had a drive for, so I sort of stuck with it,” Trammel said. “I
tried a lot of other sports, but none of them worked out. I always came back to swimming.”

On the CG girls swim team, Trammel ranked second on the roster and No. 56 in the state. Trammel believes her success comes from her strong work ethic.

“There’s a lot of things you can’t do because of swimming, so you have to be willing to do it, you really have to want to compete, because there are a lot of times where you have to say ‘Hey, I can’t do this,’ or ‘I can’t do this club’ because you have constant practices,” Trammel said. “You really have to make sure you want to be here to succeed in this sport.”

Though her social life is limited at times because of swimming, Trammel says it is all worth it from the support her friends and family gave her.

“There are the really great people who understand, and who come to your needs, and support you through practice and really hold you up when you’re struggling through your sport,” Trammel said. “Those are the friends that I feel like make it feel like you’re not missing out on anything.”

Despite the support from her friends and family, Trammel’s scholarship to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock will take her more than 400 miles away from them. However, she sees an opportunity for academic and athletic success at Arkansas.

“Not only will I be pushed athletically but also academically as I start to prepare for graduate school,” Trammel said. “I’m most excited about meeting all of my new teammates and getting to swim with my new coaches. My biggest goal going into college is to race fast enough to qualify for a position in the A heat. I will be competing for spots at big meet in the 200 fly, 100 fly and 200 individual medley. I know that I will need to continue to push myself and work hard going forward to competing at a higher level.”

Despite starting a new life across the country, Trammel says she holds no regrets in her decision to go to Little Rock.

“This is what I worked for my entire life, and it’s right in front of me…. It really was a dream come true. You work so hard for it, and you feel great. Overall, I have no regrets and I feel like it was really worth it.”