It was an amazing experience and it was a good way for me to let loose and forget everything. I swam my heart out.”

Bryn Kissack

WESTMONT — Rochelle senior swimmer Bryn Kissack couldn’t help but smile as she saw her times appear on the leaderboard during the IHSA State Championship meet this past weekend.

Kissack beat two of her three seed times and medaled in all three of her events at the state championship meet, which was held at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont on Friday and Saturday. Kissack, who has spina bifida and competes in the athletes with disabilities division, finished second in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.03 and second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 3:44.91, outpacing her seed for the event by nearly 2 seconds.

“I was at a loss for words,” Kissack said. “The environment was great. It was a great way for me to express who I am when I’m in the water and doing my events. It was an amazing experience and it was a good way for me to let loose and forget everything. I swam my heart out… When I saw my times on the board, I couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. It was heartwarming and it was a great feeling looking up and seeing what I had imagined doing and what I wanted to do.”

Kissack added a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, clocking in with a time of 4:22.27 and beating her seed time by 12 seconds. Saturday was a historic day for Kissack, who became a two-time state medalist and became Rochelle’s third swimmer in the last decade to compete at the state meet, joining four-time qualifier Alli Cole and three-time qualifier Aubrey Headon. The senior said she gave everything she had in what was her final high school meet.

“I was swimming so hard,” Kissack said. “I went into the wall and shot off the wall… It was so amazing and I’m at a loss for words. When I got out of the pool after my last event, I looked around and told myself, ‘I had a good run.’ I’ve had a good run over these last few years and my family has been very supportive of me. My siblings wished me good luck on Friday and said they were proud of me. My parents have supported me through this journey and they told me how much they loved me. It was a good way to end my senior year and I’m proud of myself.”

Kissack advanced to the state meet after finishing first in all three of her events during the IHSA Sectional at Byron earlier this month. Kissack, who’s now preparing for her senior season with the Rochelle cheerleading team, said she still plans to swim regularly at the REC Center. She said a lesson she learned from her father, Rochelle head football coach Kyle Kissack, continues to motivate her as she prepares for athletics and life inside and outside of high school.

“My dad always says to ignore the noise and that’s the motto I went with over the last few years,” Kissack said. “I swam my heart out and left everything in the water… It meant a lot to represent Rochelle because I know I’m leaving a legacy behind. There have only been a few other people from Rochelle to do this and to be the third person to do this means a lot to me.”