INDIANAPOLIS – First entering the University of Indianapolis Ruth Lilly Center Pool – the faint smell of chlorine, the water smacking from the athletes' hands, the rumbling from divers beginning their routine – can be a striking experience for those unaccustomed to visiting.
 
This is what you will find when walking onto the deck or into the bleachers on a normal practice day. An all-white painted facility lit by two rows of florescent lights, the multi-shaded gray tile floor in an ever-present state of damp from the humidity is no place to stay dry.
 
By looking at the northern-most feature of the building, one thing is apparent: this team is a force to be reckoned with. The walls are plastered with lists of previous All-Americans on both the men's and women's side, as well as three flags breaking down each conference championship to supplement the group of individual national champions.
 
This past Friday morning, freshman Landon Driggers kicked off the UIndy pool wall again. Another lap. And another. Spectators beware: stand too close and you're in the splash zone.

At the end of his final lap, he squirts a drink of water from a bottle sitting idly on the edge of the deck. The sticker-filled bottle has one decal that stands out the most: "USA Swimming" in the classic red, white and blue laid flat across the bottle, a symbol of what Driggers has accomplished while representing his country.
 
"I was really nervous that I wouldn't make the cut, that I wouldn't have a chance to race," Driggers says, smiling when thinking of his Olympic trial race this past August. "A few days before showing up to UIndy, I made it."
 
Driggers became the first-ever Greyhound from the United States to achieve such a feat, joining the countless amount of international athletes to advance through Olympic trials for their respective country.
 
His events include the 100 back, 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM. His favorite events to swim are 200 back and 400 IM.
 
A Gilbert, Ariz., native, Driggers stands near 6-foot-3 with dark brown hair and a big smile that reflects his kind soft-spoken personality. "I first joined Rio when I was eight years old," Driggers said.
 
Rio is part of the Chandler Swim Club based out of the Mesa/Gilbert area in Phoenix, a program that prides itself on building high-level competitive swimmers. "I wanted to set goals. First, it was doing well in high school. Then college. And that became training for Olympic trials."
 
UIndy head coach Jason Hite spoke highly of the incoming rookie, noting his work ethic and mental toughness.
 
"It really speaks to his ability to stay focused that he was able to overcome the pandemic restrictions and make the Olympic trial cut," said Hite. "He did it alone at an outdoor facility on a Sunday morning."
 
Hite, who is entering his fifth season at UIndy, has brought incredible success to the programs. The men's squad has registered back-to-back third-place finishes at nationals, while the women were in fourth after day one of the 2020 NCAA DII Championships before the pandemic forced its cancelation.
 
After practice, Driggers high-fives his teammates, laughing with them before leaving the pool. They each share matching crimson swim caps, complete with "Greyhounds" written across the side.
 
"When I visited UIndy, it was about being professional and growing," said Driggers. "But also gaining personal relationships, which I really appreciated.
 
"I always liked Indianapolis. So when I found UIndy, it was perfect."
 
"We look for a certain type of person," Hite said. "He really fits that mold. He has the talent to make an impact at the DII level, and he felt very connected to what we were doing here with the guys on the team.
 
"He's a great young man, and we couldn't be more excited to have him," Hite said.

Driggers will continue to train for Olympic Trials up until the qualifying meet in Nebraska the week of June 13, 2021. The top two performers will represent the United States at the Olympics in Tokyo next summer.