EVANSVILLE, Ind. – One of the best swimmers in program history is set to begin the next phase of her time at the University of Evansville as Michelle Tipton will take her academic career to the next level at the university.
 
On Saturday, the star swimmer for the Purple Aces received her Bachelor's degree on Exercise Science.  Achieving a GPA of 3.7, Tipton will now begin work on a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, which she will receive in two years.
 
That high GPA came as she was performing at the top level in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Tipton leaves the program holding nine school records and winning seven conference championships.
 
"I am really honored to be a part of the University of Evansville, both in the pool and in the classroom," Tipton said.  "It is obviously nice to look back and see the hard work pay off."
 
As if being one of the top swimmers in the MVC is not enough of a task, try taking 18 credit hours in one semester!  That is what Tipton had to balance in the fall of 2014.  That workload is tough for anyone, but she was able to balance everything out and make it work.
 
"It was difficult at time, my time management skills were challenged a lot," she said.  "It is great to do two things that you love at the same time, but having 8 PT classes and a total of 18 hours in one semester was a big challenge."
 
Despite the number of hours she was confronted with, Tipton was ready for the challenge.  She knew going into the program that the fall of her senior year would be very busy.  It all paid off as she made it through her classes and went on to yet another stellar season in the pool.
 
The climax of the year came at the 2015 MVC Championships when she was part of the UE team that set the conference record in the 200 free relay event with a time of 1:33.06.  It was the second-straight win in the event by the Purple Aces.
 
"Winning that event as a junior was probably one of my best memories with the program.  The first swimmer dove in and we were ahead and never looked back," Tipton explained.  "This year, we were able to win it again and set the conference mark."
 
"I really enjoyed the relays more than the individual events because each of us had to contribute.  When we set the record in the relay this year, we knew right away," she said.  "We were more excited that we won the event, setting the conference records was just a bonus in our eyes."
 
Tipton explained that when she initially came to Evansville, she had her eyes set on just one school record – the 200 free.  Just a few years later, she is leaving with a total of nine records. She is also heading into what will be a great career, which begins with her first clinical this summer in St. Louis.  While her goal is to eventually work in a physical therapy clinic, she is keeping her options open moving forward.  As she advances to the next phase of her career at the university, she will still be part of the program.
 
"It will be hard to not be able to jump right in the pool.  I did it because I love it," Tipton said.  "I will be supporting my teammates at every meet and can't wait to be there."