Swimming is all about the numbers, measured to the hundredth of a second. Times, ranking, seeds and splits all follow an athlete from the blocks to the record books. 

This fall, Kayda Geyer arrived as the highest-ranked recruit for Colorado State swimming and diving in head coach Christopher Woodard’s tenure, boasting a consensus top-20 national recruit ranking.

A rank can follow a swimmer everywhere, and those types of numbers can build expectations before a swimmer ever competes in a college meet. 

“It pushes me to be the best version of myself that I can be, (both) for the team and obviously myself,” Geyer said. 

There is an extra pressure that can come from being a top recruit, so finding a program that can minimize the pressure can make the college experience worth it. 

“(Woodard) runs a great program where he doesn’t add too much pressure (on) me,” Geyer said. “ (It’s) one of the reasons I came here in the first place. I didn’t want that extra expectation just because of my rankings coming in. I’m still going to be coached the same way as everyone else.” 

Her approach to swimming is simple: Keep it all on the deck. 

“When I walk into the pool, that’s 100% what I’m thinking about,” Geyer said. “When I leave, I don’t think about it for the rest of the day. I try (to) focus on other things.”

She has learned this mindset from her deep ties to the pool. Both of Geyer’s parents were All-American swimmers at Shippensburg, and she grew up with her dad coaching for Louisiana State University’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. 

“They never really put too much pressure on us,” Geyer said of her parents. “My dad, especially being a college coach, I feel like most people would expect him to put that added pressure of you need to be your best, you need to go to practice every day.” 

Geyer said she made it an active choice to swim out of love rather than obligation.

“It was always my decision whether or not I wanted to go to practice, and that helped me just stay more in control,” Geyer said. 

When the starter pistol goes off, Geyer turns her focus to the black line on the pool floor. 

“(I’m) just trying to win,” Geyer said. “When I’m in a race, I trust that my coaches and that my teammates have pushed me in practice enough (to the point) where I can just go out and compete.” 

This year, she doesn’t have to do it alone. Her older sister, Maddi Geyer, is in her fourth year at CSU, and the sisters will have this final season together. 

“I didn’t expect that she would choose to come here, but she did,” Maddi Geyer said. “It’s been great, she has felt like part of the team since day one.” 

Though they competed in club together, the two haven’t swam full time on the same team since Maddi Geyer left for college. 

“I love being in a lane with her,” Maddi Geyer said. “Obviously, we’re competitive with each other, but we’re also trying to make each other laugh, and yeah, it’s great.”

The two sisters swim breaststroke and the individual medley and said they are always trying to find ways to be there for each other. 

“I’m obviously trying to be the best version of myself for her to be a role model,” Maddi Geyer said. “In the same way, I look up to her a lot. So again, it’s a good balance of us being together.”

Not only is this Kayda Geyer’s first collegiate season, it’s the first year for the Rams in the Pac-12. 

“I think we blow it up completely,” Woodard said. “I think now, with Tess (Whineray) having arrived on the national scene and with Kayda in and some really, really great team members, we’re focused on not just, you know, the Pac-12s, which is going to be cool and a new experience, but we’re focused on qualifying postseason.”

In the Front Range Invitational, Kayda Geyer finished in the top six for each of her events: first in the 400-yard individual medley, second in the 200-yard medley relay, fourth in the 200 yard-breaststroke and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke. 

All those numbers add up to one thing: success. Kayda Geyer tallied the highest point average across all women’s teams at the meet, helping her squad finish third. But those numbers aren’t why she’s excited to be a CSU Ram.

“I (have) felt like a part of the team since my recruiting trip,” Kayda Geyer said.  “Everyone is just so easy to talk to. It’s such a good environment. It’s always just fun on the deck. I’m just so excited to be a part of it.”