On Saturday, January 29, Southwestern All-American swimmer Jesse Stovall joined her fellow seniors in writing their names on a wall in Walzel Natatorium as part of a senior-day tradition at Southwestern.
Five years ago, Stovall was in the midst of her second All-State season at Nacogdoches High School, winning the UIL Texas 5A State Championship in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.50. So when she chose Southwestern University, head coach Jon Duncan was elated.
"I remember when every swimmer here committed, and Jesse was a special one," Duncan recalls. "She was a Texas 5A champion, and having a top-level swimmer choose a smaller Division III program was awesome."
Stovall says she received some interest from NCAA Division I schools but prioritized her academic and collegiate experience in choosing Southwestern.
"I did have interest from one or two DI schools where I could've gotten a scholarship, but I didn't want it to overtake my student experience," Stovall says. "And I wanted to be a part of something I could leave an impact on. So I wanted to be where I'd really be able to contribute something.
"I also loved my high school experience in my small town, and I just wanted to find an extension of that, so I'm pleased with my decision."
Stovall grew up in Nacogdoches, Texas, where her love for swimming was sparked by watching her older brothers compete.
"I used to take my kids to their oldest brother's practices, and gas prices were too high to drive back and forth, so we'd just sit there and watch day after day," Stovall's mom Sarah Stovall, Ph.D., a mathematics professor at Stephen F. Austin, says. "One day, she got tired of watching and decided to join swimming. I've enjoyed watching her dedication to training. She works so hard, and you don't have to push her. She's self-motivated."
Stovall took to the pool as naturally as a fish in water, even if the competition drove her more than being in the water did, initially.
"I started swimming when I was seven and swam for the club team until middle school when I got burned out. I loved racing but hated practices," Stovall admits.
"Her two brothers weren't as competitive as her," Sarah Stovall says. "They were always more interested in beating their old times, where Jesse just wants to beat everyone in the pool."
Stovall fell back in love with competitive swimming when she got to high school and discovered the team aspect at that level.
"There are people who can train independently, but I wouldn't perform nearly as well without my teammates supporting me," Stovall says. "I know that's not true for everyone, but what makes swimming special is even though we have the opportunity to race individually and work on our own goals, at the end of the day, we're best when everyone is at the pool supporting each other."
Competitive swimmers share one of the tightest bonds among student-athletes at the collegiate level. It's one forged from the mutual suffering of 6 a.m. practices and training to the point of exhaustion, as much as it is for the camaraderie during meets.
"One thing is both the men's and women's teams train together, so we're all just one team," Stovall says. "And going through the pain and rigors of training for this sport is very conducive to bonding."
Stovall recalls one practice at an outdoor pool with chillingly cold water in particular.
'We were outside, we're all freezing, and Coach Duncan is all wrapped up nice and warm with a coffee, telling us to hurry up because his Starbucks is getting cold," Stovall says, recalling one of her favorite Jon Duncan memories. "At that moment, we were all pretty upset with him, but it's funny to look back on, for sure."
Stovall's appreciation for practices was reinvigorated, and her competitive nature never waned, which was on display early in her career when teammate Emma Frey bested her at practice in the 100-yard freestyle when both were first- and second-year students.
"She hates losing. She's as competitive in practice as she is in meets, so she was pretty upset when Emma beat her in an event Jesse rarely ever loses in," Duncan says. "But having teammates on the team pushing you makes you better, and now they're best friends, which is kind of cool."
"I remember feeling aggravated at myself for feeling aggravated because part of me knows I'm here to celebrate my teammates' successes to build them up, but the other part of me just wants to go out and win," Stovall says.
"When you have women who love to go out and race like that every day, even in practice, that's the kind of thing that makes a program better," Duncan adds.
Before Stovall's arrival, the Southwestern women's team was firmly entrenched in the third or fourth spot in the SCAC standings after each championship. However, in the past two seasons, the Pirates have placed second. Over her four years at Southwestern, Stovall has become one of the most decorated swimmers in the program's history.
Stovall has owned the 50 and 100 freestyles at the conference meet from the moment she stepped on campus, winning both events in each of her first three years. She is only the second swimmer in SCAC history to win the 50 three times. She's also a two-time SCAC champion in the 100-yard butterfly and a third-place finisher in 2020.
The conference named Stovall the SCAC Swimmer of the Year in 2021, and she's a two-time SCAC Swimmer of the Meet, winning at the 2019 and 2021 championships. She holds school records in the 50-yard freestyle (23.59), 100-yard freestyle (51.38), and 100-yard butterfly (57.19). She is also a part of every school relay record. In addition, Stovall owns the fourth and fifth-fastest 50-yard freestyle times in SCAC history and is tied for sixth all-time with eight individual titles.
"She's a school record-holder in three events and an individual conference champion multiple times over," Duncan says. "Her accomplishments speak for themselves, but they don't tell how great she is as a teammate. Jesse always brings a positive attitude when she comes to the pool deck. She's truly irreplaceable."
Stovall is a member of the SCAC 30th Anniversary Team and the Southwestern Women's Swimming and Diving All-Decade Team. In 2020, Stovall became the second All-American in program history, earning an invitation to nationals before the pandemic canceled the trip.
"We were excited to go and trained hard. But, I don't think anyone at that point realized the full effect COVID would have with shutting everything down," Stovall recalls. "Then one practice, coach Sarah James got a call notifying us nationals were canceled, and we were all pretty let down. So, I did a fast 50 off the blocks and called it a season."
"It was a very emotional time, but she pulled it together," Duncan adds. "She got the news and got up on the blocks and swam one of the fastest times she's ever had here at Southwestern."
Stovall awaits another opportunity to go to the NCAA National Championships this spring. She earned consideration for an invitation when she earned a B-cut at the Trinity Tiger Invitational, clocking in at 51.71 in the 100-yard freestyle.
"When I was in the water, I couldn't see the board very well. I ended up looking at someone else's time, and I remember being frustrated because I'd given it my all and the time I saw wasn't what I thought it was," Stovall recalls. "So, I walk over to coach Sarah, and she asks why I looked that upset after making a B-cut. I hadn't realized I'd done it, so it was a pleasant surprise. The promising thing is how early in the season I was able to do it. I'd only ever achieved that at conference before, so I'm excited to see what I can do there this year."
Stovall will compete in her final conference championship this week. The SCAC opens with the 200-yard medley relay and the 800-freestyle relay on Wednesday. The 50-yard freestyle is on Thursday. The 100-yard butterfly is on Friday, followed by the 100-yard freestyle on Saturday.
"Being able to hold down the 50 and 100 in conference has meant a lot to me. We've always gone into the conference meet as an underdog, and it makes me proud to be able to hold those events for my team," Stovall says. "This year, I just want to have fun and soak this last one all in. Hopefully, I can set some personal bests, and we win some relays, but if it doesn't happen, I'm just going to go out and have fun."
Stovall arrived at Southwestern wanting to make an impact. In her time with the swim team, she's become an example for everyone to look to.
"She's just an amazing, positive person. I think Southwestern has been an amazing fit for her athletically and academically, and she gives her all in both," Duncan says. "She's a leader on campus and has become exemplary of what a Southwestern student-athlete should be."
Four years ago, Stovall arrived hoping to make her mark on a program. Today, you can't walk through Walzel Natatorium without seeing her signature alongside her fellow seniors or her name on the record board looking over the pool. But even as that signature fades and swimmers replace her on the record board, Stovall's impact will remain forever embedded with the program.