COLLINSVILLE – Brinley Presson helped the Collinsville Swim Club girls team win the championship on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association Championship meet at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center in Edwardsville, turning in multiple first-place finishes and saying afterward that she cut significant time across her events.
Presson, a key swimmer for the Gators, finished second in the 15-18 100-yard freestyle, swam the lead-off leg on the winning 200-yard medley relay, won the 50-yard freestyle and the 50-yard backstroke, and anchored the 13-18 200-yard freestyle relay team to another first-place finish. The Gator girls won the championship, while the club finished second overall.
“I think I did pretty well,” Presson said after the meet. “I dropped a lot of time, and I won a lot of my races.”
Presson said her ability to lower her times has been a defining part of her performances, and she pointed to two races as her best of the meet.
“I think the 50 (freestyle) and 50 (Backstroke) were my best,” Presson said.
She said competition, improvement and support from those around her continue to drive her in the pool.
“I think the competition,” Presson said, “and getting better, improving my times. And my friends and family motivate me a lot.”
Presson also said one of the highlights of the season was what happened outside the lane lines as well as in them.
“I made a lot of new friends,” Presson said, “and I definitely made a lot of personal records in a lot of my races.”
Looking ahead, Presson said she hopes to continue swimming in college.
“Well, I sure hope to go to college for swimming,” Presson said, “and maybe, down the road, do more stuff with swimming.”
She said she is hoping to attend either SIU-Edwardsville or McKendree University in Lebanon.
Presson also said the Gators’ season reflected steady work and improvement across the team.
“I think everyone improved today and did very well in all of their races,” Presson said.
