Each weekday, ESPN RISE brings you five vital stats from athletes across the country.
Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) senior Ashley Cohagen is one of the best swimmers in the nation. She is a 13-time All-American, 10-time state shampion, and she competed at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Cohagen could have gone to any school for swimming, but the long-time Michigan fan decided to keep it local and stay a few miles from home. Here are five reasons Cohagen decided to swim at the University of Michigan.
1. Former friends
"There are a lot of girls who went to Pioneer at Michigan. I know all of the girls already, so I know what to expect going into it."
2. Famed coach Jim Richardson
"He is a great coach. I swam with him this summer and I think I'm going to excel under him."
3. No pressure
"I'm not setting any expectations because I don't want to put pressure on it. There are so many great swimmers there. I'm just going to try and go in and get a feel for the team."
4. Great town
"Ann Arbor is a great college town. When I was little I wanted to go to Hawaii or California, but Michigan really fit."
5. A new challenge
"It's going to be really, really hard. College is a different level, but I'm excited to see what I can do."
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