Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

The Niwot girls swim team lost nearly 20 swimmers to last year's graduation, so heading into the 2019-20 season, head coach Sarah Stamp had some holes to fill in the lineup. Much to her delight, junior Emiley Yie has been willing and able to help fill more than a few of them. So far this season, the talented swimmer has qualified to compete for Niwot in all but one individual event at the upcoming Class 4A state championships, and she is hitting her fastest times as the post-season approaches.

"She's a fighter," Stamp said of the third-year varsity veteran, who posted top-10 finishes in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle at state last year. "Anytime you put her in something, you know she'll give it 110 percent, and do her best to try to win for the team. Nine times out of 10, she'll get that done, so that's an awesome card to have in your back pocket."

It's a card Stamp has used to her advantage more than once this season, and it was particularly effective at the St. Vrain All-District meet on Jan. 18. There, Yie took first for Niwot in the 200-yard individual medley, second in the 500-yard freestyle, and then powered the Cougars to a commanding lead in the final relay of the day, a feat that impressed her coach.

"She's a very versatile swimmer," Stamp said. "It's exciting to have her be able to go out early, bounce back and have a full second-half of a meet, and then do that in the 400 free."

As for Yie, she's been happy to expand her repertoire for the team this season, both in an out of the pool. As a freshman and sophomore, she competed mostly in freestyle events for the Cougars, and has been enjoying the chance to test her abilities and mentor the incoming freshman.

"I can definitely swim all the events, but I've been trying different things to see which I'm best at," she said. "Right now, I really like the IM. I didn't used to like the fly, but now I'm getting better at it."

Encouraged by her father, Yie's love of swimming blossomed at an early age. She joined a competitive club at age six, and it was a setback there that helped forge her competitive drive. She now trains up to six days per week, and competes in state and national meets year round.

"I was rejected at first, so I went back and trained harder, and finally joined the team. I've been swimming ever since."

When she's not in the pool, Yie is a busy student in Niwot's demanding IB program, where she has focused on math and science. However, the junior has also been expanding her academic horizons this year, thanks Mrs. Feiran's class.

"I used to not like English that much, but we've been reading so many books that I've actually found super interesting," Yie said. "Right now we're reading the "Handmaid's Tale", and it's one I've really enjoyed."

Yie is also a member of the school's Interact Club, and had a brief stint last fall with the Niwot cross country team before an injury cut her season short. After high school, she plans to pursue an engineering degree and also hopes to extend her swimming career.