Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club’s Tilt is Kentucky Bound

With “Olympic Trials Qualifier” topping her impressive swim resume, Chattahoochee Gold’s Elizabeth Tilt has chosen the University of Kentucky to continue her athletic & academic pursuits.

UK is the reigning champion of Women’s Swimming in the Southeastern Conference. Elizabeth says, “I chose Kentucky because I really connected well with the swimmers on the team as well as the coaches. I think that the coaches do an amazing job of making sure the culture of the team is very welcoming and supportive. I think Kentucky chose me because I think I matched the culture of the team. They are looking for the right people to continue the team environment they have built.”

Elizabeth is a junior at Marietta’s Lassiter High School (Lassiter Girls were state high school swimming champs her freshman & sophomore years). Once she arrives on Kentucky’s campus in fall of 2023, her swim goals are simple, “I am excited to continue to help the team improve. After they won SEC’s last year, it is a goal of mine to help them continue this title. I also want to maintain the culture of the team that they have at Kentucky.”

She credits her coaches Austin Sumrall and Mike Wardwell for helping her achieve the goal of competing for a bigtime Division One university like Kentucky, “My favorite parts of being a Gold swimmer are the supportive coaches that have helped me grow as a swimmer and as a person. Additionally, my teammates make this sport so enjoyable and fun. Gold is truly like a big family and I love being able to know that I have the support from so many people. My coaches and teammates have helped me overcome changes and obstacles in my swimming career."

Elizabeth has been part of the Chattahoochee Gold family since she was eleven years old. "My proudest accomplishments for swimming for Gold would be how much I have learned to adapt to change as an athlete and as a person. Also, I am super proud to have been able to compete at the US Olympic Trials last summer. It was truly an amazing opportunity, and I am so proud I was able to represent Gold.” However the thing she cherishes the most with Gold is her teammates, “I have to say my favorite memory of being a Gold swimmer was when my friends broke 5 minutes in the 500 Free. It had been their goal for so long, and we were all so happy to see them accomplish this huge milestone. When they finished and all of them had gotten the time they wanted, we ran around the pool and hugged them and maybe cried a little.”

“There are so many people I thank for getting me to this point. I would have to start out by saying thank you to my family and especially my parents. They are the ones who got me into swimming in the first place, and they are the ones who have supported me along this process. From getting up earlier to taking me to morning practice to staying late at a swim meet, I couldn’t have done it without them. I also would like to thank my summer league team, the Smyrna Sharks, and all of the coaches and teammates who helped me fall in love with the sport. Finally, my teammates and coaches with Gold have continued to make swimming enjoyable for me." Gold coach Austin Sumrall thinks UK made the right choice, saying “Gold is incredibly happy for Elizabeth and her decision to attend the University of Kentucky. The UK swim coaches immediately recognized the level of commitment and drive Elizabeth has for swimming and knew they found their next Wildcat.”

Chattahoochee Gold is one of USA Swimming's top 100 programs. The team is headquartered at the Woodstock Aquatic Center and also trains swimmers at Mountain View Aquatic Center in Marietta and the Cumming Aquatic Center.

goldswim.com