Wilkins wants to get back to state

Over the past two years Neuqua Valley's Atlantis Wilkins has put together an impressive résumé as one of the top sprinters in the state.

As a sophomore, while still a member of the junior varsity, Wilkins attended the 2005 girls state swimming meet as an alternate, and though she didn't get to compete, the experience had a profound influence on her commitment to the sport.

"That's when I decided I have to make it back there," Wilkins said. "Just seeing the meet and the caliber of swimming made me determined to work hard, make it to varsity and to qualify for state."

She started her junior season on JV, but Wildcats coach Jennifer Heyer-Olsen called her up to the varsity during the year. Wilkins qualified for state and made a major contribution to Neuqua's fifth-place finish.

Wilkins, whose twin brother, Anton, stars for the Wildcats in both football and basketball, finished 12th in the 50-yard freestyle, going her best time in the preliminary round and also swam the first leg of the 200 medley relay that came in sixth.

"I was just ecstatic," Wilkins said. "I couldn't believe the coach believed in me and I got the chance. I was happy just to get on the team."

The experience further inspired Wilkins, who did her youth swimming for a relatively small team at the Bolingbrook Park District.

After last year she dedicated herself even more to the sport, giving up her career in track where she was also a sprinter, and, last summer, she missed the junior national cut by just .03 seconds.

At Saturday's Neuqua Valley sectional, which will feature several of the top teams in Illinois, including defending state champion Rosary, Wilkins will compete in the 50 free as she attempts qualify for this year's state meet next week.

She's determined to crack the top six at state.

"The feeling when you swim the 50 is crazy," said Wilkins, who plans to continue swimming in college. "You have so much to concentrate on and yet, in a way, you're on autopilot and it goes by in a blur. You go out fast, see the wall, turn around and go the other way as quickly as you can. There's no time to think about your time, who's in the other lanes or where you are in the race. You just go."

"Atlantis's body type gives her a high turnover rate," Heyer-Olsen said. "She moves her arms and legs fast, which is more conducive to the sprint events than it is to distance."

Heyer-Olsen has decided to use Wilkins on all three relays this time around.

"Relays are great because you really get the feeling of teamwork and the girls supporting each other," Wilkins said. "That we're all in this together. We believe that all three of our relays have a chance to score."

That sense of teamwork is important to Wilkins, who is one of the Wildcats' co-captains.

"Atlantis is a quiet leader," Heyer-Olsen said. "She's a nice girl and a team player."

"Atlantis is a really hard worker and she's always striving to improve," said teammate and co-captain Kathleen Patterson, who finished fourth at state last year in both the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle. "She has come such a long way and she's a great leader. She tries to pump up the girls in practice and in the races and she helps plan team activities."

And while she has worked hard to become a great athlete, swimming is by no means the only activity in Wilkins' life.

She's a B-plus student and has been an active member and officer in Neuqua Valley Student Council every year.

"I enjoy councils because we really get to help out around the school," she said. "We lead community events, decorate for dances. We're in the middle of everything that's going on."

Wilkins is a member of the school's Diversity Council, which is made up of African-American and Latino students who get together to discuss and take action on issues important to minorities.

And she's been a decorated Girl Scout since she was 8 years old.

Last May as a member of the only African-American Girl Scout troop in DuPage County, Wilkins earned the prestigious Gold Award as an outstanding scout.

Wilkins produced a brochure for a troop project that was designed to make teenagers aware of the importance of the organ donor program when they get their first driver's license.

Charlotte Wilkins, Atlantis's mother, is proud of her daughter's accomplishments and of the variety of leadership roles she's taken.

"Her name is unique and her personality is unique," Charlotte said. "She's very determined. She sets personal goals and makes it a point to achieve them. You never have to wake Atlantis up in the morning. She's eager to start the day, because she looks forward to everything she does."