In 2010, senior swimmer Taryn MacKenzie was already making waves before she became a Lady Tiger.
At 16 years old, MacKenzie made it to the semifinals in the breaststroke event of the Junior Olympics and was named the 2010 South African National Champion in the 50- and 100-meter breast.
“At the time, it goes so fast and feels so unreal that you don’t even process it,” MacKenzie said. “It was just a whirlwind of excitement and adrenaline. You really just feel like you’re on top of the world, in the best form you can be and just excited to go from there and improve onto new and better things.”
Five years later, MacKenzie is preparing for her final season in the pool as a Lady Tiger, looking to cap off her time at LSU as successful as it began.
In her freshman season, MacKenzie notched numerous second-place victories, including those in meets against Southeastern Conference rivals the University of Alabama and the University of Kentucky. Both her sophomore and junior seasons were filled with top-five finishes.
MacKenzie competed in the SEC Championships in all three years since she has been at LSU.
“SEC is one of the craziest, fastest meets I’ve ever been to,” MacKenzie said. “It’s so different from anything we swim back home. It’s so much more fun, and the vibe is crazy, unlike anything I have ever seen.”
MacKenzie said the crowds and how parents are involved in cheers with the athletes at the SEC Championships blows her away.
Aside from the SEC Championships and the football games, MacKenzie said the practices and circuits are her favorite part of donning purple and gold.
“The practices are like nothing I’ve ever done,” MacKenzie said. “I feel like we’re such a close, fun group and practices are always fun and make you as excited as you can be for a practice. And on top of the SEC Championships, if it can get any better than that, the craziest and most memorable thing is the circuits that we have at the beginning of every year.
“The team gets together and we support each other, and it’s such an adrenaline rush. It’s so difficult, but because it’s so exciting, you just forget the pain. To see which team wins is just absolutely awesome.”
Competing in the SEC Championships gets MacKenzie hungry to go further, she said. She competed in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships as a part of the women’s relay team. However, she aims to take part in the other individual events of the championship as well.
Despite experiencing the atmosphere of the biggest stage in collegiate swimming, MacKenzie said the SEC Championships is the best meet she’s competed in.
“I heard that SEC is more fun and adrenaline-filled than the NCAA,” MacKenzie said. “I went to the NCAA my sophomore year for the relay team and it’s fun, but the SEC is more rowdy.”
Swimming coach Dave Geyer said MacKenzie has the potential to make her senior season a successful one, possibly leading to the NCAA Championships.
“She had a great summer this year, and if she stays healthy and takes those types of steps, she can finish out with a good senior year,” Geyer said.