It takes incredible dedication and sacrifice to commit to a collegiate athletic program. Nola Meekins (‘27) recently announced her verbal commitment to the Duke Blue Devils’ swim team. Having spent almost ten years swimming competitively, Meekins spoke with the GH Falcon about her athletic career and the work she put in to achieve her newly committed status.
Growing up on an island off the coast of California, Meekins was plenty familiar with the water and discovered swimming via her surroundings. “Well, there was water everywhere, so I had to learn how to swim, and then I really liked it,” she said. When she was younger, she found competitive swimming to be an environment in which she could thrive while improving her skills and forming new relationships.
Meekins credited her parents as her biggest supporters throughout her athletic career, and she noted, “Before I got my license, they would have to drive over 20 minutes, almost four times a day, there and back. It was a lot of work and kind of expensive. They’ve given up a lot of time and resources for me to keep swimming.” Her older sister Sophie Meekins also swam, which brought them closer and furthered Meekins’ love for the sport of swimming. Meekins acknowledged her sister and her friends’ influence on her athletics, citing their support as one of the reasons she persevered through challenges. “I feel like swimming helped bring us together, because we drove to practice every day, and her and my friends are what kept me going and swimming.”
Athletics are excellent environments to build relationships and shape personalities, especially through determination and interactions with teammates. Meekins’ ten years of hard work have led her to commit to a prestigious university, and she spoke about what she has learned from her years of swimming: “Even when your outcome wasn’t the best, don’t let that discourage you, because you have so many more opportunities. So just keep pushing through it and keep working harder until you get that outcome that you want.” Although each race feels individual, swim is a team sport at its core, and each athlete is swimming to help their team place better in the overall meet.
Division I and II commitment opportunities became available Sept. 1, 2025, for athletes in the class of 2027. Meekins, in a decision between Duke University and the University of North Carolina, found herself stuck between two reputable universities. She noted that they both have prestigious academic programs and said, “I really just got drawn to Duke’s academics. And I really liked the coaches and the girls there, so I decided, after I went on my visit there, that it would be a good fit.” She shared that she is excited to swim in a more team-oriented environment in college, as high school and club races are very individualized.A junior at Green Hope, this will be Meekins’ third year on the Falcon swim team. She reminisced about her first two years of high school athletics and shared her favorite moment so far. “We were on a relay, and it all came down to that relay of us four for whether or not we’re going to win the meet. We didn’t end up winning, but we shaved off like two seconds, so the experience and suspense leading up to that was really fun.” The competitive environment that feeds off of team chemistry is one of the aspects of high school swim that she will miss the most.
High school is a busy time, and athletes have lots on their plates. Meekins discussed the sacrifices that have to be made to be a college athlete. “I can’t stay out late. I’m at practice every day until 7 pm, so free time’s really hard,” she said. She also mentioned that certain aspects of academics have to be forfeited due to absences and lack of free time to complete work.
Meekins looks forward to swimming for the Duke University swim team, and she hopes to keep improving her times throughout her high school career. As her time at Green Hope continues, she hopes to keep making memories and learning the various lessons that being an athlete can teach someone.
