Ripon College Breaststroke Record Broken by Freshman Kahl

By Miki Canak in Campus News, College Days, Feature Story, Sports, Student Life on March 11, 2025

Kahl Describes Her First Year Swimming at Ripon College, 200-yard Breaststroke Race, and Experience as a Dual-Sport Athlete 

Kiarra Kahl, a freshman majoring in chemistry with a minor in psychology, shocked the swim and dive team when she broke Ripon’s 200-yard breaststroke record at Grinnell College.

She won the race with a time of 2:33.14, topping the previous record of 2:33.52 set by senior and captain, Sophie Czerwonka.  

“We were both in the same heat for finals and I didn’t see her time until I got out of the water. I knew she broke the record because I remembered my time and I ran over to her in excitement. I was beyond proud of her,” Czerwonka said. 

She said it was a touching moment for both of them and was happy to see such an accomplishment from a newer teammate. 

“I was super pumped when I first heard that Kiarra was joining our team. I saw her times coming into the season and she was right at my speed. I wanted to have somebody to race me and every practice was so much fun with her,” she said. 

Kahl prepared for her record-breaking swim no differently than before and keeps a list of reminders about technique on her phone which she reads before every race. 

“I do the same stretches before my races and also play with my necklace, which I always wear when I swim,” she said.

Kahl said she took a nap between her warm-up and race, which gave her energy to swim as fast as she could during day three of the conference championship. 

“My stroke was different and I felt like I was pulling more water than I was during my last breaststroke race. I held longer streamlines and counted two seconds in my head after each stroke,” she said. 

Kahl enjoys cheering for and speaking to her teammates during competitions. She said having conversations with head coach Grace Carlson also helps her maintain a positive mindset while competing.

“Kiarra is extremely coachable, so working with her this season has been amazing! She’s been trying to learn how to swim her 200 breaststroke all season and it finally came together at MWC’s. She swam smart and trusted herself and the work she’s put in! I’m very proud of her,” Carlson said. 

She said she enjoyed her first year coaching for the team.

Conference finals was not the first time Kahl and Czerwonka raced each other and Czerwonka commented on their relationship as teammates. 

“Kiarra makes me laugh all the time and pushes me to be the best. Sometimes, I felt nervous racing off the blocks because we were so close, but I had the determination to win and I enjoy our team rivalry,” Czerwonka said. 

Kahl enjoyed swimming “test-sets” with the team, which are high-endurance practices that measure progress throughout the season. 

“As tough as they were, everyone was there together, and I felt so accomplished afterward. It was great knowing the team was there with me,” she said.

“She’s one of those people that has the grit and determination to race. I enjoy being a role model and mentor, especially for the younger athletes. I know the team appreciates me and trusts my ability to guide them,” Czerwonka said.  

Kahl is also a cellist for the college orchestra and a center-back for the soccer team.  

“Being a multi-sport athlete for third-division teams is possible because of the flexibility and understanding of my coaches, who spoke to each other before I made my decision. When it’s soccer season, it’s soccer season, and when it’s swim season, it’s swim season,” she said.

Kahl has been swimming for 13 years and said she was happy to have the opportunity to compete in both sports. In addition to her record, her favorite part of the season was Ripon’s swimmer gift exchange tradition. 

“I thought it was cool because we wrote funny descriptions of each other. I also think it’s important to hear all the positive messages from the team and it’s reassuring to know everyone believes in you,” she said.  

Swimmers handed each other note cards during their gift exchange with hand-written notes about their positive attributes, funny memories, and goals for the season.

“It actually made me think I could succeed in my races and that my goals weren’t out of reach,” Kahl said. 

Meanwhile, Czerwonka said her favorite memories from this season were from training camp. The team went bowling, visited the local movie theater, went out to dinner, and hosted an inter-squad meet.

“I was excited to go to practice every day and swimming together helped relieve any stress I was feeling during classes. Coach Grace helped, and obviously the team. We had such a nice dynamic all season long and I think we were really close to each other this year. I wouldn’t have traded it for the world,” she said. 

Czerwonka will stay at Ripon College next year to work toward completing her master’s degree in sports psychology. 

Kahl said she was surprised to find out she broke the 200-yard record because she spent the entire season focusing on the 100-yard breaststroke. 

“I was looking at the 100-yard breaststroke the whole year and I didn’t really think about the 200-yard record until right before my race. When I looked at the end of my lane, people were cheering, but then they were quiet, and then they were cheering again. No one knew I was going to beat this record,” Kahl said. 

Her future goals include breaking school records for the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.

“Give it your all, because you never know what can happen. Freshman year me would have never guessed I would have gotten two school records here and I know Kiarra must be really proud of herself too. Cherish your time with the team and don’t take anything for granted,” Czerwonka said. 

She encourages upcoming athletes to get to know their team, spend time with each other, build strong relationships, and put as much effort as they can into their practices.

“Don’t be afraid to push yourself to the absolute limit every day,” she said.