Swimming & Diving: Kilkuts leads both in and out of pool

A remarkably versatile swimmer, Kilkuts has enjoyed tremendous success in a variety of events throughout her collegiate career, especially in the 200-yard individual medley. She always appears poised to finish first, regardless of the event.

Senior co-captain Justina DiFazio explained that while Kilkuts knows how to have fun, she is also a serious competitor and a dependable teammate.

“Our team is pretty rambunctious before [and] during swim meets, and she can get right in there with us,” DiFazio said. “But once she is behind the blocks for her events, she is ready to race. We can always count on her to pull through … It’s inspiring to watch her swim.

Women’s swimming and diving head coach Susan Teeter noted that Kilkuts motivates the other members of her team.

“This year, she has really stepped into a leadership role,” Teeter said. “She is able to lead in the water … and help [her teammates] with stroke technique so they, too, can swim faster.”

This season, Kilkuts has been a vital part of No. 25 Princeton’s Ivy League unbeaten streak. Most recently, Kilkuts contributed to the Tigers’ win over Columbia on Feb. 7 by placing second in the 200-yard freestyle event. On Jan. 31 at the Harvard-Yale-Princeton (HYP) competition, Kilkuts claimed second place in the 200-yard breaststroke en route to Princeton’s overall victory at the meet.

But the highlight of her season thus far came against Dartmouth on Jan. 25, when Kilkuts claimed first place in three separate events: the 200-yard free, the 100-yard free and the 200-yard butterfly.

Kilkuts is certainly no newcomer to the water, and she attributes her collegiate success to her upbringing. A native of Southern California, Kilkuts grew up constantly surrounded by water and aquatic sports.

“My parents put me in water safety classes long before I can remember,” Kilkuts said. “They say they have pictures of me floating in the water at [age] 2 or 3. I guess I was just so comfortable in the water that they thought I should join a club team, so when I turned 6, I did. The rest is history.”

In high school, Kilkuts’ swimming career took off. While attending Santiago High School in Corona, Calif., she won every race she entered.

Kilkuts accrued a sizeable collection of accolades at Santiago, including several All-America awards. In addition to the honors she collected in the pool, Kilkuts was also her class valedictorian.

While her high school swimming career was impressive, the success she has enjoyed at Princeton is perhaps even more striking. She capped off her freshman season as the Ivy League champion in the 200-yard IM, displaying her versatility at swimming all four strokes.

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During her sophomore year, Kilkuts added to her accomplishments. At the Big Al Open on Dec. 1, 2007, Kilkuts broke the Princeton record in the 200-yard IM with a time of one minute, 59.10 seconds, which qualified her for the NCAA championships. She finished that season with another solid showing at the Ivy League championships, placing first in the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard breaststroke.

Kilkuts has certainly been an integral part of Princeton’s success since she joined the team, but when asked about her accomplishments, she is quick to deflect praise and credit to her teammates.

“Sending seven swimmers to NCAAs last year was [something] I was fortunate to be a part of,” Kilkuts said. “My favorite moments are always the ones where the team is doing well. It’s so much more fun to celebrate when you’ve got a whole team celebrating with you.”

During this season, in which the Tigers are preparing to make another run at an Ancient Eight title, Kilkuts has really come into her own.

Teeter believes this is why Kilkuts has had so many triumphs in her junior year.

“She is a leader by example in and out of the water,” Teeter said. “She is an athlete who constantly wants to [do] better every year.”

It is this drive to succeed that has Kilkuts focused on the current task at hand: bringing home a possible fourthstraight Ivy League championship to DeNunzio Pool. This weekend, Princeton will compete in a three-day meet against its Ivy foes in East Meadow, N.Y.

Kilkuts pointed to a couple of factors that may help her team excel this weekend.

“Our team has trained extremely hard this year both in and out of the water,” Kilkuts said. “We’ve spent a lot of extra time in the weight room. This is the first year we’ve had a strength coach, and I think that work is really going to show.”

If Kilkuts swims with her usual intensity and confidence this weekend, the Tigers will most likely have the last laugh.