UMBC Magazine‘s longtime photographer Marlayna Demond ’11 is used to going to great lengths to get her shot. A former Linehan Scholar, she climbs on tables and ladders to achieve the right angle. She waits quietly in the cold for the right moment to snap the shutter. (Here’s one example of that.) She takes hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of photos to get the one perfect for print. And who even knows how many squirrel portraits she’s captured over the years, simply because we asked? In short: she’s a true team player.

So, when we decided to write a feature on UMBC’s award-winning swimming and diving team, the obvious first question was: “How do we safely get Marlayna (and her camera) under water?” (Read the full story here.)

In addition to the challenges of using electronics in and around the waters of the UMBC Natatorium, we also wanted to make sure Marlayna could breathe easily and have as much range of motion underwater as she would on land. Over the course of a month and a half, our team tested out lighting and camera solutions with the guinea pigs—ahem, wonderful student athletes—on the swimming and diving squads. Marlayna borrowed a “dry suit” that allowed her to float and move somewhat gracefully in the water. Some ideas worked right away, others didn’t. In the end, it was a win-win: Marlayna got what she wanted and no one got electrocuted.

Here’s Marlayna’s take:  “When we started planning for this feature, the biggest challenge was how to get the underwater photos safely—both for my safety, and for my equipment’s! After searching a bit, the best solution was to use an underwater camera and a borrowed dry suit (it’s like a wet suit, but can also keep air trapped inside making floating much easier!). With the addition of a scuba mask and breathing tube, I hopped in the water for our test round photo shoot (looking absolutely ridiculous) and quickly found that my nervousness about photographing in such an unusual environment floated away, and my love of being in the water kicked in instead! The shoot day itself had lighting and timing obstacles to figure out, but all in all, the swimmers were fantastic and patient, and this was one of the most fun photo shoots I’ve gotten to be a part of here!”

We’re grateful to UMBC’s swimmers and divers and Coach Chad Cradock ’97 and his team for giving us the time and space to explore these new depths of photography with them. And we hope you enjoy these behind-the-scene peeks of our time in the water.

— Jenny O’Grady, Editor

Getting ready to jump in! With Candace Cage, designer.

Marlayna enjoying her time in the “dry suit.”

Marlayna waited in the water to capture Elijah Wright’s dive in slow motion.

Did we mention how amazing the student athletes were?

Testing out shot ideas with art director Jim Lord ’99 and designer Candace Cage.

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Read the full story: The Best Team You’ve Never Heard Of

Header image: There’s a strong possibility they’re cheering because it’s the final shot of the day.

Karyn Swann ’92, sociology, never imagined that her daughter, Lyric, would attend UMBC, let alone follow in her basketball-shoe footsteps. And Lyric had no idea when she was cheering at the Homecoming games and attending UMBC Nike Basketball Camp in 8th grade that she would one day leave her own legacy on the same court.

Lyric, who signed with UMBC in December 2018, began playing basketball when she was eight after Swann put her in a clinic with her twin sister. She will start playing in the fall.

“It was my UMBC teammate, Angel, who told me about a clinic that she was putting her daughter in, and she suggested I put my twins in” says Swann. “I was hands-off. I never dreamed that I was going to be coaching her. Two years after being in the clinic, she joined a league, and I’ve been coaching her ever since.”

Both Lyric and her mother are left-handed, so Swann’s coaching was key. Lyric quickly became an outstanding athlete, playing both basketball and soccer. After she was named Most Valuable Player at the UMBC Nike Basketball Camp, recruiters started taking note.

“Her sophomore year going into last year, she had a phenomenal summer. So [UMBC] said, ‘Oh gosh, we have got to get this girl before these top top programs get her. The tournament wasn’t even over and they wanted to schedule a visit with her. That’s when it was first surreal, like she could really go here,” says Swann.

Can we put this on our fridge? #RetrieverNation https://t.co/uXyCOk0TOV

— UMBC (@UMBC) June 14, 2019

Currently finishing her senior year at Long Reach High School, Lyric is the top point guard in the area and was the 2017 – 18 Howard County Player of the Year. When it came to making a decision, she had to pick between many schools recruiting her, including Yale.

“She’s a very prolific player. The coach here knows she could have played at a higher level. She realizes that academics are important, and there’s so much that UMBC has to offer in helping you beyond graduation,” says Swann.

When UMBC offered Lyric a full scholarship, she accepted it the same day.

“I was considering some other schools, but I felt like this one was the best fit for me because my mom went here and it’s close to home, and it’s like a home to me. Last year, I verbally committed to this school. This year, I did early signing,” says Lyric. “It was nice because it was a confirmation that I’m here and that my education is secured and my athletic career is secured, and I was just excited to go to college, you know?”

Swann, who wasn’t recruited, but became a walk-on-turned-scholarship athlete, remembers a very different UMBC, one that was much smaller, but one that she loved nonetheless. “I had so much fun when I was here. There were a lot of people from my high school here, so it felt really comfortable,” she says. “I loved going to the dining hall and going to some of the parties on Hilltop, and of course I spent a lot of time in the gym and running around the loop for conditioning.”

Incoming women’s basketball head coach Johnetta Hayes said she was thrilled to learn about Lyric well as her mother’s history with the team.

“Lyric will get a chance to create her own story, and I’m excited about that,” Hayes said. “I am thrilled to know she has passion for UMBC. This is home for her. It’s great for her family, and it’s great for UMBC, as well.”

Lyric already knew she wanted to stay in-state so that her mom could come to watch her play. “UMBC is a good school. I’m looking forward to going to an honors school. The people who go here are really smart and focused and they put their future first, as a priority for them. They’re trying to go places in life, and I’m excited to be surrounded by these people,” says Lyric.

She plans to major in graphic design. “I’m looking forward to playing here because basketball is my passion,” says Lyric. “I’m looking forward to making an impact here at UMBC and having fun doing it.”

*****

Header image courtesy of UMBC Athletics.

The NASA Postdoctoral Program offers U.S. and international scientists the opportunity to advance their research while contributing to NASA’s scientific goals. The NPP supports fundamental science; explores the undiscovered; promotes intellectual growth; and encourages scientific connections.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology.

Current research opportunities can be viewed on-line: https://npp.usra.edu/opportunities/

Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar, may apply.

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Applications are accepted three times each year:

• March 1
• July1
• November 1

For further information and to apply, visit: https://npp.usra.edu/

Send questions to npphelp@usra.edu.