Erin's Hall of Fame Video
Erin (Dolan) Edminister graduated with honors from Drury on May 12, 2012. During her four years as an undergraduate, she enjoyed a spectacular career as a member of the women’s swimming/diving team. She used her fifth year of eligibility to compete in cross country/track, while earning a masters degree, and established herself as one of Drury’s all-time great cross country/track athletes. She has now parlayed those experiences into a career as a professional triathlete. Erin is a member of the U.S. National Triathlon Team and is ranked in the Top 40 in the world. Her top performance was fourth place finish at the World Cup in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary. She and her husband, Steve Edminister, currently live in Bentonville, Arkansas and she trains in Northwest Arkansas with Coach Alan Ley.
Erin came to Drury from Lincoln, Nebraska, in the fall of 2008. She was the state champion in the 500 free and a junior national team qualifier in the 400 IM, 1000 and 1500 events for Southeast High School. She was named Midwestern Swimmer-of-the-Year three times. Primarily a distance swimmer for the Panthers, Erin was a sixteen-time NCAA-II All-American. She helped lead the Panthers to three NCAA-II women’s team national championships (2009, 2010, 2011). The Panthers finished second in the nation her senior season, the year she earned team MVP honors (2012). Erin is a three-time individual national champion in the distance freestyle events and was a member of two 800 free relay national titles. She met the converted qualifying U.S. Olympic Trial time in the 800-meter freestyle in 2012 and still holds the Drury records in the 1000-yard freestyle (9:53.33) and the 1650-yard freestyle (16:33.00).
Panther head swimming coach Brian Reynolds noted that Erin’s intensity and desire to become the best is matched by very few. “Of all the athletes who have come through the Drury swimming program, Erin had as much desire, effort and energy as any swimmer. That desire helped her develop into a prominent national champion in the distance events and it has carried on into her career as a triathlete,” stated Reynolds. “All of her success, then and now, comes from her extremely strong desire to be the best.”
Erin’s distance coach while at Drury, Jason Owen, added similar reflections. “Erin was a huge part of a very special time in Drury Swimming/Diving history. Through hard work and determination, she overcame many adversities to rise to the top and earn championships for herself and the team. Looking back at my 15 years of coaching, I have never known a swimmer with more grit and resilience than Erin. I am fortunate to have worked with her and am proud of who she is today.”
In her one year on the Panther Cross Country team, Erin became the first Drury female to qualify for the NCAA-II National Championship. She finished 43rd in the nation, just three spots shy of All-American status. She is still the Drury record holder in the 6K run. The theme of Erin being a competitor continued with comments from then Drury head cross country coach, Jon Van Arkel. “Erin was a fierce competitor who trained hard and was motivated to perform well. She had a single-minded desire to finish first and was not satisfied with anything other than winning every race.”
In her one year as a member of the Drury track team, she set indoor school records in the mile, 3,000 and 5,000-meter races and then established outdoor school records in the steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000-meter races. She was the GLVC champion in the indoor 5,000 and the outdoor 10,000 and she also qualified for the NCAA-II indoor and outdoor national championships. In May of 2013 she finished 17th in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA-II National Track and Field Championship in Pueblo, Colorado. Erin was named the GLVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year that same year. Her track coach while at Drury, Don Keeton, said the following about his one-year wonder. “Erin,” stated Keeton, “was an amazing athlete to watch, especially since she did not have any prior college training or competitions in track. She was extremely fearless and was a tremendously tough competitor. Erin was truly a great, great athlete. It was amazing what she accomplished in only one season.”
While Erin’s athletic career is hardly over as her accomplishments as a triathlete continue, we pause to honor her as a Drury athlete. Today the Drury Community, along with members of her family, coaches, friends and fans, Erin (Dolan) Edminister is forever enshrined as a member of the Drury Sports Hall of Fame on this day: Saturday, December 2, 2017.
