The Drury women’s swimming/diving program is 23 years old and while it is 20 years “younger” than its male counterpart, its success story is almost a mirror image...especially since becoming a member of the NCAA-II in 1994-95. In that 17-year run the Drury women’s swimming/diving team has won eight national titles, including the last three in a row; finished second seven times and third twice. There have been many “stars” who have made this success story possible, but none have shined any brighter than Vanessa Young who came to Drury from Gillette, Wyoming in the fall of 1997. By the time she graduated from Drury on May 13, 2001 (Broadcast Major) Vanessa played a key role in helping her team to three more NCAA-II national championships.
In her first season (1997-98) Vanessa contributed to the team’s national title by being part of the national championship 400 medley relay team. That same year she caught the attention of the NCAA-II swimming world as she was soon to become the dominant backstroke specialist in the nation. She finished second in the nation that year in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events and was third and ninth in the 200 IM and the 400 IM, respectively. She also earned Academic All-America honors her freshman year, an honor she would earn each of her four years in college.
Her sophomore and junior seasons Vanessa was THE dominant backstroker in the nation. She was a rare repeat national champion by winning the 100-yard backstroke in 1999 and 2000. She missed a “three-peat” in 2001 by finishing second in the nation, only 14 hundreths of a second away from a third title. In 1998, 1999 and in 2000 the women’s team won the NCAA-II team title and Vanessa was part of those powerhouse teams that included many “superstars” and several future Drury Hall of Famers: Viktoria Gadd (Class of 2005), Meagan Krueger (Class of 2007), Kathleen Hayes-Owen (Class of 2010) and Christina Thompkins (Class of 2011). Today Vanessa joins that foursome.
Drury finished second in the nation in the team standings her senior year, but when her career came to an end, Vanessa had helped her Panther teams to three NCAA-II national titles; for a two-three year stretch she was the best backstroke specialist in the nation; she earned five individual national titles; and she was a 19-time NCAA-II All-American. Vanessa graduated with honors and she left Drury in the spring of 2001, but not before she made a huge impact as an athlete, as a student and as a person.
This month Vanessa was promoted by her employer of the past five years, Visual Latina, a shopper marketing advertising agency based in Buenos Aires, Argentina and whose home office is located in Atlanta. She is now the Global Vice President of Account Services. Vanessa resides in Springfield with her three children: Eli (nine years old), who is here today, along with Hudson and Sawyer (4-year old twins). The bulk of her “down time” involves volunteering at her childrens’ schools...and all the other adventures that go with raising three boys. In what free time remains between balancing her career and three children, Vanessa advocates and maintains a healthy lifestyle while her career provides a myriad of opportunities to engage in many cross-cultural experiences.
Perhaps Kathleen Hayes-Owen best describes this year’s Hall of Fame inductee. Her teammate and best friend, Kathleen had this to say about Vanessa. “Vanessa is a very loving and caring person who was and remains driven and self-motivated. She is a “plan-and-execute” type person. She can be business when needed and also be the life of the party as well. It is her sheer determination that has helped Vanessa achieve her goals in life, and in swimming. It was inspirational watching her push herself to be a top swimmer while in college...and now in becoming so accomplished in her career. Vanessa knows how to succeed and no one works harder. Though she is younger, she is someone I have always looked up to. And above all she is a great mother who puts her children first. She is a great friend whom I am so thankful to have!” Kathleen and Vanessa are best friends and today they have one more thing in common as Vanessa Young is now also a member of the Drury Sports Hall of Fame and is enshrined as a member of the Class of 2011 on this date: November 19, 2011.
