When Sylvia Admire and Shelby Gourley arrived at Illinois State four years ago, neither knew exactly what the next four years would hold.
They knew they wanted to swim. They knew they wanted to earn their degrees. But they couldn't have been prepared for the coaching changes, injuries, academic demands or everyday ups and downs that would shape their college experience.
While they didn't know what was ahead, they knew they would face it all together as roommates.
Their freshman class had just four swimmers. Admire and Gourley were paired as roommates, while the other two swimmers roomed together. They didn't know each other before arriving at Illinois State, but the random roommate assignment quickly turned into a friendship that would last all four years.
"We're a great match," Gourley said. "Sometimes people have issues with roommates their freshman year. Sylvia and I were a great match."
They've shared many of the everyday moments that come with college life — watching movies and TV shows, grocery trips, shopping and plenty of sweet treats after long days of practice.
Over four years, they've also gotten to know each other's personalities well.
Admire describes Gourley as kind and welcoming, someone who makes people feel included. Gourley describes Admire as fun and bubbly, the teammate who is likely to be cheering people on from the deck.
Despite their different personalities, they've found a rhythm that has carried from their freshman year to their final season.
"Once I start something, I like to finish it," Admire said. "So I wanted to stay here, but I think we've always been in it together."
Now, as the two seniors prepare for their final season as Redbirds, Admire and Gourley are the only swimmers on the current roster who have spent all four years at Illinois State.
After four years, multiple coaches and countless hours in and out of the pool, they have plenty to reminisce about — and plenty still to look forward to — as they begin their final season Friday, Oct. 2, against Quincy University.
Finding a home in Normal
Admire and Gourley chose Illinois State after being recruited by Caitlin Hamilton and Sean Sullivan. Just weeks before they arrived on campus, however, Hamilton left for Kentucky, and Sullivan stepped in as interim head coach for a season.
Riley Hilbrandt then took over, leading the program for the next two years before Ryan Evans became the current head coach in May.
For Admire, coaching changes were something she had experienced before at the club level. Still, each transition brought its own adjustment.
"It's still kind of tough, you know, going through different coaches and adapting to different coaching styles," Admire said. "It really just teaches you how to pivot and adapt to different situations. I think that probably has made me stronger and more able to handle change and stuff like that."
But while the coaching staff changed, the reasons Admire and Gourley chose Illinois State remained.
Admire, who came to Illinois State from Claremore, Oklahoma, arrived as a biology major before switching to elementary education after her freshman year. As she found her place academically, she also found a team she wanted to be part of.
"I stayed here because of my academics and because the team culture has just been really good every year that I've been here," Admire said. "So I've just felt comfortable staying here no matter the coaching situation because of the girls on this team."
Gourley, who came to Illinois State from South Carolina, had her own reasons for choosing Normal. The nursing program was a major factor, giving her the chance to pursue her degree while competing as a Division I student-athlete.
"A huge thing that drew me here was the nursing program," Gourley said. "And then also having the ability to do nursing and be a student-athlete at the same time, because that's a rare opportunity."
The people she met on the team made the decision feel even more right.
"Everyone was so nice," Gourley said. "And the team culture — you could just tell it was good."
Those early impressions became something more lasting. Four years later, neither swimmer plans to take a fifth year. They know this is their last chance to experience the meets, practices and everyday moments that have become such important parts of their lives.
A new chapter
When Evans arrived at Illinois State, Admire and Gourley were among the veterans who could provide stability as he got to know the program.
"They just have a good calming presence on the team," Evans said.
That steadiness has become particularly valuable for the younger swimmers on the roster. After navigating several coaching changes themselves, Admire and Gourley can help freshmen put the small frustrations of college athletics into perspective and adjust to a new environment.
Evans said Admire leads through her work ethic, always doing what is expected of her.
"I usually try to do everything that I'm supposed to do and lead by example," Admire said. "If somebody needs help on the team or if they need advice or if they're confused about something, I'm happy to help."
Gourley brings a similar approach, particularly for the team's younger nursing students. With several nursing majors now on the roster, she has become someone teammates can turn to for questions, study guides or help preparing for exams.
"I like helping them out with any questions they have," Gourley said. "If they need help studying for exams or if they need my study guides that I have saved, I'm always going to help."
Evans said the two seniors can provide perspective when something feels bigger to a first-year student than it might after four years of college athletics. He has also seen the freshmen integrate into the team particularly well, with Admire and Gourley's steady presence helping ease that transition.
At the same time, Admire and Gourley are experiencing a new chapter of their own under Evans.
His training philosophy has introduced new elements, including more work outside the pool. Practices now incorporate running, dryland and core work in ways that were different from what the seniors had experienced during their first three seasons.
"We do a little bit of running, and I've never run before at practice," Admire said.
Gourley said Evans has also brought a more research-based approach to his coaching.
"It's definitely been a good change," Gourley said. "He's very up to date on research and stuff. There's been studies coming out that show running does actually help increase your aerobic capacity in the pool, even though you're on land, and it can help prevent overuse injuries."
Even with those changes, some things have remained familiar.
Team chants, cheers, the fight song, weekly whiteboard questions at practice and pre-meet traditions have continued to give the program a sense of consistency.
For Admire and Gourley, those small traditions are part of the identity of being a Redbird — a connection that has remained familiar even as the people leading the program have changed.
"It's just all about the little things that we do that keeps our team dynamic kind of similar throughout the years," Admire said.
Making the most of the final season
For Gourley, getting to the end of her swimming career hasn't been a straight path.
An injury late last season made the transition into her senior year more difficult. She spent the summer working toward recovery and has continued to be diligent with athletic training while balancing nursing school and the demands of the season.
Evans has allowed her to modify training when necessary while the athletic training staff helps manage her recovery.
The experience has reinforced how much Gourley still wants to swim.
"I'm just not ready to be done," Gourley said. "I'm not ready to be done with my teammates anymore and everything, so I think that just keeps me going."
Her goal is simple: make the most of whatever remains.
"I want to be able to say that I did everything I can to make this last year good," Gourley said. "And that I gave everything that I had, and I have nothing left to give."
Admire has a similar mindset heading into her final season.
"My biggest personal goal is just to finish out my season strong," Admire said. "I mean, it's my last year. I want to feel good in the water. I want to go out, and I want to race, and I just want to have a good time with my team for my last year."
The first dual meet of the season will also be the first of their final season. The practices, meets and traditions that once seemed routine are now part of a countdown.
"It's a little bittersweet," Gourley said. "Time is going to go by really fast, and then it's going to be sad at the end. But this year is going to be good."
For Evans, the final result matters, but so does what the two seniors take with them when the season ends.
"Obviously, I'd love for their last race to be a lifetime-best time," Evans said. "But more to that, I want them when they're climbing out of that pool for the last time, just looking back on their career and this last season, to just be like, 'OK, I did everything possible to have the best race that I could.'"
