University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Looking to the Future with Elizabeth Lykins, Head Women's Swimming and Diving Coach
04.14.2023 | General, Women's Swimming & Diving
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Our Turn to Play is an annual event hosted by UNC Asheville Athletics with the mission of fundraising for female student-athlete scholarships. We aim to highlight achievements for women in sports as well as their impact on others in their community. This year we will be recognizing Stacey Enos as our Trailblazer and JoAn Scott as our Keynote Speaker. Scott currently oversees the Men's Basketball Final Four Tournament in Houston as well as previous work with Nike Marketing in the Olympics. Tickets and table sponsorships are sold out for this event. If you would like to make an impact through a donation please see this link and under the designation please select Our Turn to Play.
Elizabeth Lykins has completed her 11th season at the helm of the UNC Asheville women's swimming and diving team in 2022-23. Lykins has guided the program since its inception in 2012. A 1998 graduate of the School of Business at College of Charleston, Lykins received her bachelor's degree in business administration. She was a four-year letter winner on the swimming team and placed herself on the athletic honor roll each season. A captain for her junior and senior seasons, she was also named the women's team MVP in 1998. Her first coaching assignment came at Georgia Southern University as a graduate assistant. In her two years with the program, the squad garnered three individual conference titles, six all-conference members, one female conference swimmer of the meet, and two top-three team finishes at the conference championships. While at Georgia Southern, Lykins also earned her master's degree in Sports Management. The 2021-22 season for Asheville was a memorable one. The season began with the Bulldogs sending four swimmers to the CSCAA Open Water National Championships in September. The quartet of Hannah Bruno, Nora Segurola Larrinaga, Gaby Shenot, and Caitlin Hefner combined to place seventh as a team, while Hefner placed sixth individually. Asheville had plenty of honors to go around. Delaney Carlton was the CCSA Swimmer of the Week twice (October 5, January 25) and was the Bulldog of the Month in January as well. Mikaela Fullerton was the CCSA Swimmer of the Week on November 23 and Jade Canady became the first Bulldog to earn CCSA Diver of the Week honors on October 5. As a team, Asheville cruised through the regular season posting a perfect 8-0 record in dual meets and extending its unbeaten streak to 12-0 since October 2020. The Bulldogs continued to rewrite their record books with 10 individual freshman, one freshman relay, 14 individual school, and four relay school records all fell during the 2021-22 season. At the 2022 CCSA Championships, the Bulldogs had 11 podium finishes on their way to posting the best finish ever in school history (third). One of those podium finishes was Caitlin Hefner, becoming the program's first-ever gold medalist as she won the 1650 Free. Furthermore, three Bulldogs earned NCAA Provisional Cuts throughout the year in Delaney Carlton (50 Free - 22.72), Abby Parks (50 Free - 22.74) and Mikaela Fullerton (100 Breast - 1:00.55). Carlton was also named the CCSA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year following the season.
What is a piece of advice that you would give your past self in terms of navigating athletics as a female? Listen first, THEN.... Be strong, stand up for yourself and your athletes/team.
What area of women's athletics do you see most impacted by Title IX? Opportunity. More chances for females to be involved, to compete at the highest level.
What do you hope to see in the future for women in sports administration roles? Equal & better pay, college athletics is not about the money, you have to love your job, the long hours and the commitment to your sport/university, ESPECIALLY at the mid major level. Only a small percentage of male coaches at Power 5 schools are making "the big bucks".
How do you see the future of UNC Asheville Athletics? What is something that looks promising? I'm hoping the teams who are excelling continue to climb ladders and enter previously uncharted waters, no pun intended. And those teams building and rebuilding start to see the fruits of their work pay off.Â
As we look to the future of college athletics, what is the biggest change you have seen that you hope to see sustainable growth in? More women in coaching and admin positions, unsure if sustainable though because so many women are forced to choose between job and family, I'd like to see more work-life balance encouraged/allowed.Players Mentioned
