Champaign Central junior Babette Bradley, center, is The News-Gazette’s 2023 girls’ all-district swimming and diving athlete of the year.
Babette Bradley
Champaign Central Junior
Why she made the senior team… Now Bradley is the News-Gazette’s Swimmer of the Year, leading a Maroons team that has been dominating the district competition. She was the closest of any swimmer in the area to advancing to the IHSA state finals, finishing 19th and 20th, respectively, in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke heats. Bradley was a Big 12 Conference and sectional champion in both events as well as the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
She needs tickets to see a Drake concert.
Before you compete, eat…an apple.
Her dream profession is… pediatric surgeon.
Her favorite school subject is… Biology.
Her favorite athlete is…Laura Taylor.
Her favorite movie is… “Marvelous Mr. Fox”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose…her grandparents and her brother.
Three things on her bucket list: traveling the world, hiking the Appalachian Trail, and skydiving.
Champaign Central sophomore Missy Cappa made the 2023 News-Gazette girls swimming and diving first team.
Messi Kappa
Champaign Central is a sophomore
Why she made the senior team… Kaba’s breakout season was highlighted by a state appearance, as the Maroons anchored the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay after winning those races at the Big 12 Conference meet and at a sectional meet in Champaign. Cappa also placed second at both conference and sectional in the 100 freestyle.
She needs tickets to see… the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Before you compete, eat… a protein bar.
Her dream profession is…lawyer.
Her favorite school subject is…history.
Her favorite athlete is…Olivia Dempsey.
Her favorite movie is… “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose… Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, and Rihanna.
Three things on her bucket list are: travel around Europe, read 1,000 or more books in her life, and learn to drive a boat.
Emily Crosier, Sullivan, The News-Gazette’s Faces of Autumn photo shoot at the News-Gazette in Champaign on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
Emily Crosier
Sullivan is a sophomore
Why she made the senior team… Crozier was the only area swimmer to break the minute mark in the 100-yard backstroke in the preliminaries, winning the event with a time of 59.91 seconds. She went on to finish 30th in the state qualifiers. Crozier also finished second by just 0.48 seconds in the 50 freestyle at districts.
She needs tickets to see… the Olympic Swimming Trials.
Before you compete, you drink…blue Gatorade.
Her dream career is… anything in design.
Her favorite subject is… Interior Design.
Her favorite athlete is… Katie Ledecky.
Her favorite TV show is… “Friends”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose…Jesus and her great-grandmothers.
Three things on her bucket list are… meeting Katie Ledecky, skydiving, and traveling to Spain.
Olivia Dempsey, center, at the News-Gazette’s Faces of Autumn photo shoot at the News-Gazette in Champaign on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
Olivia Dempsey
Champaign Central Junior
Why she made the senior team… Dempsey was another key component of the Maroons’ relay dominance. She was part of the Big 12 Conference-winning 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. Dempsey also earned a podium finish in the 500 freestyle at districts, placing third with a time of 5 minutes, 37.82 seconds.
She needs tickets to see a Drake concert.
Before you compete, drink… Ani Energy Drink.
Her dream profession is… physical therapy.
Her favorite school subject is… mathematics.
Her favorite athlete is… Messi Kappa.
Her favorite TV show is… “The OC”
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose…Luke Bryan, Justin Bieber, and Noah Kahan.
Three things on her bucket list are… traveling to Greece, attending the Women’s College World Series, and spending Christmas in New York.
Champaign Central senior Ellie Faraci has joined the News-Gazette’s 2023 girls swimming and diving all-district first team.
Eli Faraci
Champaign Central Senior
Why she joined the senior team… Faraci was the region’s top diver for the season. After a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Conference meet, she stood atop the podium at districts with a score of 318.00. With a similar result, she placed 41st in the state qualifiers.
She needs tickets to watch…Illini basketball games with her family, experiences I always appreciate.
Before you compete, eat a protein bar and drink plenty of water.
Her dream career is… something where I can make a meaningful impact or contribute to positive change.
Her favorite subject is…English because I have always loved writing and learning about current topics.
Her favorite athlete is… Greg Louganis, who was a huge inspiration to me when I first started diving.
Her favorite movies are… The Hunger Games series.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose… Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, and Blake Lively.
Three things on her list are…visit all 50 states, read 100 books a year, and study abroad.
Mahomet-Seymour University freshman Carolyn Mills has made the News-Gazette’s 2023 All-Region girls swimming and diving first team.
Caroline Mills
Muhammad Seymour, student
Why she made the senior team… Mills dropped 33 seconds off her 500-yard freestyle time since the start of the season at sectionals, where she qualified for state with a winning time of 5 minutes, 28.71 seconds. She went 40th in the event at the state prelims. Mills was also part of the Bulldogs’ record-breaking 200 freestyle relay.
She needs tickets to see a Taylor Swift concert.
Before she competes, she eats plain bagels with cream cheese and drinks plenty of water.
Her dream career is…biologist or biochemist.
Her favorite school subject is… Biology.
Her favorite athlete is… Katie Ledecky.
Her favorite movie/TV show is… “Gilmore Girls”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose… Taylor Swift, Katie Ledecky, and Zach Bryan.
Three things on her bucket list are: swimming in college, traveling around Italy, and living at the beach.
Talyn O’Donnell, Muhammad Seymour, at the News-Gazette’s Faces of Autumn photo shoot at the News-Gazette in Champaign on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
Talyn O’Donnell
Muhammad Seymour is in his second year
Why she joined the senior team… The team captain was just a sophomore, and O’Donnell led by example. She qualified for state after winning the 50-yard freestyle at districts in 24.24 seconds and the 100 butterfly in 58.52 seconds. She then placed 33rd and 34th, respectively, in those events at the state prelims. O’Donnell broke school records in the 50 and 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. She was also part of the record-breaking 200 freestyle relay.
She needs tickets to see… the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Before you compete, you eat…a lot of protein and drink Gatorade.
Her dream career is…environmental engineer.
Her favorite subject is… mathematics, although it is also the most difficult subject for me.
Her favorite athlete is… Angie Ko.
Her favorite TV show is… “Gilmore Girls”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose… Michael Phelps, SZA and Frank Ocean.
Three things on her bucket list are… going skiing, bungee jumping, and traveling to Europe.
Champaign Central senior Laura Taylor has made the News-Gazette’s 2023 girls swimming and diving all-district first team.
Laura Taylor
Champaign Central Senior
Why she made the senior team… Other than Babette Bradley, Taylor was the only Maroon swimmer to win all four events at both the Big 12 Conference meet and sectionals. Taylor swam the 100 and 200 yard freestyle events individually and led the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. She went 36th in the state prelims in the 200 freestyle and 42nd in the 100 freestyle.
She needs tickets to see… another Noah Kahan concert.
Before you compete, eat…a banana with peanut butter.
Her dream profession is…a physical therapist for a major sports team.
Her favorite subject is…English.
Her favorite athlete is…Lane Cox.
Her favorite movie is… “10 Things I Hate About You”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose her grandfather, Abraham Lincoln and Gandhi.
Three things on her bucket list are… catching a big snake, touching a whale, and visiting Sequoia National Park.
Champaign Central senior Olivia Terry has joined the News-Gazette’s 2023 girls swimming and diving all-district first team.
Olivia Terry
Champaign Central Senior
Why she made the senior team… Terry was just fractions of a second away from joining Babette Bradley and Laura Taylor as four-event sectional champions. She was part of the winning 200 medley relay and 200 free relay, and placed second in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
She needs tickets to see… Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan, and Drake concerts.
Before you compete, drink a pink drink with cold chocolate foam from Starbucks.
Her dream career is… to conduct research on prosthetics.
Her favorite school subject is…Science.
Her favorite athlete is… Angie Ko.
Her favorite movie is… “10 Things I Hate About You”.
If she could have dinner with anyone from any time period, she would choose…Jesus.
Three things on her bucket list are… skydiving, mountain climbing, and visiting a different country.
Centennial sophomore Brynlee Wilbur made the 2023 News-Gazette girls swimming and diving first team.
Brinley Wilbur
Centenary student
Why she made the senior team… Wilbur made the podium in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly with times of 25.48 seconds and 1 minute, 2.60 seconds. It was also the third stop of the Chargers’ 200 medley relay, which placed second at districts.
She needs tickets to see a concert at a Tokyo hotel.
Before you compete, eat some fruit and drink plenty of water.
Her dream career is… sports photographer or paramedic.
Her favorite subject is…history because I love learning about the past.
Her favorite athlete is… Katie Ledecky.
Her favorite TV show is… “Grey’s Anatomy”.
If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would choose… Billie Eilish, Elvis Presley, and Timothée Chalamet.
Three things on her list are… attending the Summer Olympics, traveling to Germany, and snowboarding.
The 2023 Girls All-Region Swimming & Diving First Team represents some of the most talented and dedicated athletes in the sport. These young women have demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and commitment to their craft, earning them a place among the top performers in their region. With a combination of strength, technique, and competitive drive, these swimmers and divers have proven themselves as leaders in their sport, and their achievements are a testament to their hard work and dedication. Let’s take a closer look at the individuals who have earned a spot on the 2023 Girls All-Region Swimming & Diving First Team and learn more about their impressive accomplishments in the pool and on the diving board.