By Harrison Leone
Assitant Sports Editor
People search high and low to find a calling or a niche where they truly feel comfortable. For Erica Pascarella, the lone senior of the women’s swimming and diving team, that niche was swimming.
“Swimming was just something that I always wanted to do,” Pascarella said. “I’ve always enjoyed being in the water.”
Pascarella, a Bradford, Pa. native, actively competed in cross country and track in addition to swimming in high school. She was a decorated athlete as well, winning Bradford High’s “Outstanding Female Swimmer” award and twice being named the MVP of her high school squad. While in high school, Pascarella attended summer swimming camp at St. Bonaventure and fell in love with the campus.
“Although I applied to swim at a few other schools, I knew St. Bonaventure was the place for me,” Pascarella said. “It’s where my heart wanted me to go.”
For all four of her years, Pascarella was the only member of her class to compete on the team. She impressed her coach, Seth Johnson, with her ability to continue on with swimming.
“It says a lot about her character that she was able to stick with it all these years,” Johnson said. “She’s been the only member of her class all these years and that’s important, especially in a sport like this.”
This year’s team is stocked heavily in favor of underclassmen, with 21 of the 25 swimmers being freshmen or sophomores. Being one of only four upperclassmen has forced Pascarella to take on an even more proactive leadership role.
“It’s challenging sometimes. Just by being a senior, the team would already look to you as a leader,” Pascarella said. “Having such a large freshmen class is a challenge, but I have some juniors to help me out. Besides, we’re all really close and we get along really well. We help to push each other.”
Johnson praised his senior’s ability to act as a role model for the rest of his team. Johnson has watched Pascarella develop and step into a position of leadership.
“She’s come a long way, and not just in her events,” Johnson said. “She’s evolved into a leader during my time here. She’s come around to what I see as and what I would expect from someone in a leadership position. The biggest impact she has is her leadership. With such a young team, that’s just as important as anything done in the water.”
Pascarella said her favorite aspect of her time as a Bonnie has been the lifelong friendships she has been able to forge.
“The relationships and the bonding experiences are the best parts,” Pascarella said. “I’m still in touch with a lot of the girls who graduated before me. You get special connections that I feel lucky to have had.”
If companionship was the highlight of being a Division I athlete, then conversely, Pascarella found it difficult to juggle both schoolwork and her sport.
“It gets very tiring,” Pascarella said. “For six months straight, we wake up at five in the morning and have doubles everyday on top of school work. Time management is key when you’re at this level.”
Pascarella voiced her confidence for the upcoming Atlantic 10 tournament. The A-10s will be held on Feb. 20 at Akron University.
“I think we’re ready for this year. With such a talented team, I know we’ll do really well,” Pascarella said. “We’re going to shock everyone.”
With less than a month remaining in her farewell tour, Pascarella is both excited and reflective.
“Leaving will be bittersweet,” Pascarella said. “I’m ready to move on to the next chapter in my life, but it will be so sad leaving. But I think I’m ready. I did my time and I feel good about it.”
