Moody thrives in and out of the pool
Junior Rachel Moody swims the freestyle. Moody was named the national swimmer of the week on Feb. 5 for her performance in the dual meet against Louisiana State University, Tulane University and the University of Houston. Moody broke the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke to qualify for the NCAA provisional round. Moody and the rest of the Owls are resting before the conference championships in Atlanta, Ga. from Feb. 26 to March 1.
On Feb. 1, junior swimmer Rachel Moody broke Rice University’s 100-yard breaststroke record in a four-way dual meet against Louisiana State University, Tulane University and the University of Houston. Following the event, Swimming World News recognized Moody as the National Division I Swimmer of the Week: her first national honor.
On Feb. 1, junior swimmer Rachel Moody broke Rice University’s 100-yard breaststroke record in a four-way dual meet against Louisiana State University, Tulane University and the University of Houston. Following the event, Swimming World News recognized Moody as the National Division I Swimmer of the Week: her first national honor.
Head Coach Seth Huston said Moody’s mental fortitude is one of her defining assets.
“She doesn’t worry about her opponents: She just races,” Huston said.
Moody is a Houston native and swam on Memorial High School’s swim team before she came to Rice. Unlike other Division I swimmers, Moody did not participate in club swimming during the beginning of her high school career. Instead, she was involved in other extracurricular activities, including varsity cheer, track and field and the Health Occupation Students of America.
During Moody’s senior year in high school, she swam on the Rice Aquatics Team, Rice University’s club swim team. The club team allowed Moody to swim when high school swim practices coincided with cheerleading. On a typical day, Moody would cheer immediately after school then swim at Rice that night.
Huston first spotted Moody at a high school regional swim meet, where he identified her raw potential and athleticism. After Moody matriculated, Huston said he carefully watched over Moody throughout her freshman year to make sure she could handle swimming as a Division I athlete.
“[I] had to be careful,” Huston said. “She hadn’t trained at this level.”
During her first year, the transition from high school swimmer to Division I athlete was demanding, according to Moody. She said she was straining to balance school, swim and college life. For her, the morning practices were mentally and physically taxing and caused her to fall ill on several occasions.
“I had never done morning practice,” Moody said. “My training was not automatically at the other girls’ levels.”
During her sophomore year, Moody returned to the Conference USA championships and also qualified for the U.S. Open Swimming Conference championships. Moody said she felt a remarkable difference in her training between her freshman and sophomore year.
“[The training schedule] was a lot more natural,” Moody said. “[I was] not a veteran, but [I was] not a beginner either.”
Moody’s improvements in training carried over into her junior year. She said she is more confident in her abilities and her effectiveness in the weight room.
“You have to trust your training and push yourself,” Moody said.
Huston said Moody’s career has been on the rise, and she greatly matured as an athlete during her first two years on campus.
“Anyone who does something consistently will improve,” Huston said. “[Moody] now goes to the training room consistently and manages school better.”
Moody said she makes a conscious effort to allocate her time accordingly, not giving too much attention to a single aspect of her life. Moody strives to be academically, athletically and socially successful.
“I give 110 percent at the pool, but I also work hard to do my best in school and maintain a social life,” Moody said.
Recently, Moody’s efforts have materialized on a national scale. Moody said her recent success should be attributed to her increased level of confidence in the pool.
“[Huston] would always tell me I had potential, [but] now I believe it,” said Moody.
Huston said he attributes it to experience. He thinks Moody has finally settled in as a collegiate athlete, which is one of the reasons she has been so successful this season.
“[Moody is] finally a veteran,” Huston said. “[She] had a lot of talent and ability before, but now she has the experience. [We are] finally seeing the product of her athleticism, confidence and willingness to work.”
Moody said her inexperience during high school is now benefitting her in college. Unlike many junior and senior collegiate athletes, Moody has yet to feel burned out by her sport. She said she looks forward to continuing her career since swimming still feels fresh to her.
“I want to keep getting better,” Moody said. “I want to keep giving it everything.”
Huston said Moody’s junior and senior years hold a considerable amount of promise.
“I don’t want to put [unnecessary] pressure on her, [but Moody’s] best days are still ahead of her,” Huston said.
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