NMU Junior Jordan Iverson from Alaska enters her third season with the swimming and diving team.

Iverson said she has high hopes for another successful season and and that competition is high.

Iverson, born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska decided to come to Northern Michigan University after her senior year of high school to be a part of the ’Cats swimming program and the nursing program. Iverson first heard of Northern Michigan University when her father  conversed with a girl wearing a Northern Michigan University swimming and diving T-shirt.

“We looked up the school on the Internet and it seemed to be a great place with a good schooling program,” Iverson said. “Soon later we contacted the coach and they brought me up here and that’s when I decided to enroll as a Wildcat.”

Iverson said that swimming was her calling when she was younger ever since her parents enrolled her in swimming lessons.

“My parents put my sister and I into swimming classes since we were very little,” Iverson said. “ I fell in love with swimming ever since I was six and joined a team and have been swimming at home for about 12 years.”

Iverson lettered four times at Robert Service High School. She was an Alaskan Regional Swimming championship finalist in the 200 individual medley in 2008-09, Alaskan Regional swimming Championship finalist in the 200 freestyle in back-to-back years from 2009-11 and won the 500 freestyle meet at Regionals in 2009. Iverson was a 500 freestyle Alaskan swimming champion finalist three years in a row from 2009-11, all in high school. The  team was all three-time state champions (2008-10) and regional champs from 2007-09.

At the end of Iverson’s first year as a ’Cat in the 2011-12 season, she received her first letter in swimming and placed 10th in the 1,000 freestyle and the 1,650 free at the GLIAC championships and seventh in the 400 individual medley. Iverson placed second in the 1,650 and 200 freestyle against St. Cloud/Minnesota-Moorhead.

Iverson said her team is looking strong and that she looks forward to becoming a stronger and better competitor.

“I believe our team looks really strong,” Iverson said. “When I came here during my freshman year I wanted to get along with everyone and having a coach that is supportive really helped. My goals are be a contender for the NCAA championships this year.”

After the 2012-13 season, Iverson received her second consecutive letter, finished fifth in the 1,650 and 500 freestyle at the Calvin Invite and won the 400 IM setting a pool and meet record. Iverson also placed fifth in the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle and the 400 IM at the GLIAC Championships.

Iverson said she likes the atmosphere up here with the swimming and diving program and that it is different from her experience back at home in Alaska. Iverson said the team consisted of 60 swimmers, boys and girls under a male coach.

“At home I had all male coaches,” Iverson said. “Having Heidi Voigt as a head coach is great, it’s easy to build a connection with her and she cares for our well being outside of class. When I came up here, the swimming dynamics back home were different from here, it was a smaller pool and coming to Northern you had to work your way up.”

Iverson said this year will be better and that the team continues to do well by communicating with each other and staying at the same level with consistency.

“We do a good job of taking care of each other,” Iverson said. “We have a great coaching staff and athletes. I am just looking forward to another season, everybody is training very well and we seem to be on track for the beginning of the season. A personal goal is to make it to the NCAA championships and give it all I got.”

The ’Cats take the stage in their first meet against Hillsdale College, 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 at Hillsdale, Mich.