All division 1 athletes around the country signed the National Letter of Intent on Nov. 14. Among those signees was Pleasant Valley’s stand out swimmer Libby Staver.
The National Letter of Intent is a document that is used to show the official commitment of student-athletes becoming a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Staver signed her letter to the University of Wyoming.
Officially signing the NLI can relieve a lot of stress for student-athletes. Staver said, “It was exciting signing the NLI because it was the beginning of the next chapter of my life. It took a lot of weight off my back because I have a plan for my future and it was solidified by me signing my NLI.”
Staver specializes in distance races. In high school, she swam in the 500m and 200m freestyle. She placed 13th in the 200m and 7th in the 500m at the Iowa state meet in 2018.
The University of Wyoming is 850 miles away from Pleasant Valley, but that didn’t stop Staver from going to her dream school. “I’m looking forward to going into college swimming because I’ll already have a group of friends and family that I belong to. That’s why I chose Wyoming because talking to the coaches and hanging out with the team made me realize that this was the team culture I was looking for,” Staver explained.
Staver has been the star for Pleasant Valley swimming the last four years. She has been an influential person for the program and her teammates. “Libby has always been a huge role model for me because we swim the same events so we practice together. She’s always a great lane leader and can push me and the rest of the swimmers. She has been a big part of the swimmer I am today,” teammate Carly Lundry stated.
Staver worked hard everyday in order to get a scholarship to swim at the next level. “She has always been naturally talented but it was her work ethic and dedication to swimming that makes her that much better,” Lundry said. “She always pushes herself because she always has high expectations and goals for herself.”
