Making Waves in More Ways Than One

Continue Reading

Explore four other exceptional graduates who forged different paths and overcame obstacles to reach their goals.

It’s Monday morning, 6 a.m. In her bedroom, Maria Erokhina’s alarm goes off, breaking the quiet serenity of slumber. Rising before the sun, she prepares to dive into another week.

Half an hour later, Erokhina, a senior Business Administration major with a minor in Psychology, launches headfirst into the water of Butler-Hancock pool. For the next two hours, she swims rigorously alongside the other members of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC)’s Swimming and Diving team.

Once 8:30 a.m. rolls around, it’s back to her home for a quick breakfast before tackling her regular lineup of classes and homework until early afternoon.

At 2 p.m., she’s back in Butler-Hancock for the day’s second practice — another two-hour affair of propelling herself through the water that’s sometimes followed by a stretching routine.

Finally done with swimming for the day, Erokhina spends the rest of the afternoon and evening wrapping up classwork and potentially hanging with friends or spending time bonding with her teammates.

By 10 p.m., it’s time for bed and eight solid hours of sleep before the alarm goes off again, and the cycle repeats itself. Oh, except on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, when she follows up her first swim practice with a set of weight training.

This schedule is a daily routine for Erokhina, one of UNC’s most prolific student athletes. Her season begins in August, continues through the fall and spring with swim meets and competitions and doesn’t wrap up until mid-July, after she’s spent the summer training and swimming in competitions back home in Cyprus, an island country in the Mediterranean sea.

“Between everything swimming-related, I have about two weeks off,” Erokhina said.

While this cycle might sound exhausting, it’s something Erokhina has tackled for the past four years at UNC. And on top of her athletic duties, she still finds the time to tutor fellow UNC students, spend quality time with friends and play the piano — a talent she’s practiced since she was five or six years old.

“It’s not a secret or a hack, but what helps most is just being organized and having a daily plan,” Erokhina said. “It’s harder some days than others, but just being prepared is the thing that helps most.”

That plan has paid off for Erokhina. This year, she became the first swimmer in UNC’s history to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships on top of setting program records in four different events and securing conference titles in both the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke. Most recently, she was recognized as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s 2026 Swimmer of the Year.

“At first, it was all kind of surreal. It was hard to process that it was actually happening,” Erokhina said. “But at the same time, it felt really good to be able to represent UNC and my country in front of so many people.”

Despite her storied career at UNC, when Erokhina was first considering where she wanted to go to college, the university wasn’t even on her radar. It was only thanks to a personal connection between her coach in Cyprus, three-time Cypriot Olympic swimmer Stavros Michaelides, and Lisa Ebeling, head coach of UNC’s Swimming and Diving team, that she ended up in Colorado.

“People don’t often stay in Cyprus for college, so I knew I was going to go abroad somewhere,” Erokhina said. “I almost ended up in Europe, but last minute, I committed to swimming and to UNC. I had heard of Colorado by name only – I had no idea what to expect coming here other than that it was cold, apparently.”

Erokhina certainly hasn’t let the cold ice her out, however.

With plans to graduate this May, she’s looking to the future and navigating the path ahead, both in the pool and out.

“I’m excited to graduate and see where the future takes me,” Erokhina said. “I’m not 100% sure where that will be. I want to train and try to swim for Cyprus in the 2028 Olympics, but I’m also thinking about a grad program here at UNC or going to work somewhere in the field of finance.”

Regardless of what the future holds, Erokhina emphasized the need for balance and variety, keeping things fresh and possibilities open.

“For any athlete, you need a plan for the future because your athletic career won’t last forever. On top of that, just doing one thing and one thing only isn’t great for your life or your brain, either,” Erokhina said. “It’s important to have a balance in your life.”

For now, she’s focused on crossing the looming finish line of graduation while reminiscing on her time spent at UNC.

“Looking back, I have a lot of good swimming memories, but the things that really stand out are the times I got to spend with people here on campus,” Erokhina said. “In spring, when the sun would come out, we’d play volleyball or spikeball out in the yard or just sit there and listen to music in the sunshine. Those are the moments I felt most connected to everyone.”

From the close bonds she forged with teammates to friendships made with fellow Bears and connecting with some of her favorite professors, Erokhina said she wouldn’t be where she is now without the support and love of those around her. With the end of her time as a student approaching, she hopes to leave things on a positive note.

“I want to thank all the people that have helped me throughout my time at UNC — the international office, the athletics department, coach Lisa Ebeling, my teammates and everyone who made my journey here what it is,” Erokhina said. “I’m so thankful for everything.”

It’s safe to say no matter where she ends up, Erokhina will dive in head-first and make plenty of waves – puns absolutely intended.