Journalism, Swimming Successful Combo For Carr
By Harold McIlvain II
Lemke Ledger Staff
It was a dream season for senior journalism major Stephanie Carr.
The Arkansas swimming team achieved its first top 25 ranking in 16 years while Carr swam the best times of her career in distance events.
“You couldn’t ask for more than a top ranking,” Carr said. “And that was one of our goals coming into the year. We wanted to have at least nine wins, and we got more. It’s my senior year and I’m swimming my best times.”
Carr began her career at the University of Georgia, where she helped the team win the 2005 NCAA Championship during her freshman year.
“I couldn’t even imagine winning a national championship,” Carr said. “That memory will be with me for the rest of my life.”
But Carr said she wanted to transfer after she was not achieving the individual results she desired.
“I wasn’t improving,” Carr said. “And after freshman year, I was getting even slower. I just felt like the training wasn’t right for me.”
When Arkansas announced the signing of her high school coach, Jeff Poppel, Carr said she knew Fayetteville was the right place for her.
“He is probably the closest person to me other than my parents,” Carr said. “I couldn’t imagine finishing my career under anyone else.”
Now, after two seasons with Arkansas, Carr has set school records in the 500 free, 800 free relay, 1,000 free and the 1,650 event.
But balancing athletics and academics has been a challenge.
“It can be really demanding,” Carr said. “Your focus isn’t always on taking the test when you are getting ready for a big meet.”
It was important for Carr to do well in class, she said, because she wanted to be a student-athlete, not just an athlete.
“Usually I struggle with academics a lot,” Carr said. “But here the teachers have been so helpful and actually care about the students.”
Says UA swimmer Stephanie Carr of her time in Fayetteville: "Without these
opportunities, I wouldn't have been the same person. If I stayed at Georgia, I don't
know what I would be doing or majoring in." — Photo provided
Carr originally was interested in majoring in business but found journalism to be a better fit.
Carr said her advertising and public relations classes have helped her in and out of the pool.
“I used to not be communicative at all about how I’m feeling or how my stroke was feeling in the water,” Carr said. “Since being in the department, I definitely feel I can communicate my feelings more and say things I need to say.”
She was recently named to the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll and voted first-team Academic All-District by ESPN The Magazine.
“Honestly, sometimes I feel I work harder outside of the pool than I do in the pool,” Carr said. “I think I have to in order to achieve my goals. A lot of the times people think athletes don’t care about school. But we do.”
Now with a B.A. in journalism, Carr said she will finish graduate school with a sports marketing degree.
“Without these opportunities, I wouldn’t have been the same person,” Carr said. “If I stayed at Georgia, I don’t know what I would be doing or majoring in. I might have moved back home with my parents, saying, ‘Hey, I have to get a job now.’”