MADISON, Wis. — Gina Panighetti never wanted to do things halfway, whether it involved school work, teaching kids, swimming at an elite level or, perhaps most impressive, making friends.

"I didn't know how to not give it my all," she said.

Panighetti came to the Wisconsin women's swimming program in 1996 and immediately went about setting high standards in all those areas.

She earned her degree from the School of Education with grades that made her a three-time academic all-Big Ten Conference selection, a three-time UW Athletic Board scholar and the second member of the women's swimming team to be awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor.

Panighetti was a student teacher at Verona High School and Sennett Middle School, where she became so enamored with the spirit and curiosity of sixth graders that, 20 years later, she still teaches that age group.

As a swimmer, Panighetti did some exceptional things for the Badgers, namely earn 12 All-American citations, three Big Ten individual titles, three first-team all-Big Ten honors and the Big Ten Swimmer of the Year in 1998.

But being a good person is what Panighetti did best, something UW teammate Erin Pohle Huldeen learned early on.

"I remember my very first week as a freshman – not knowing anybody and just trying to get to know the swim team and adjust to being away from home for the first time – I remember Gina came up to me at the pool in the locker room, asked my name and I told her and she looked at me and said, 'I can tell you and I are going to be good friends,'" Pohle said.

How did Panighetti sense something that?

"I don't know," Pohle said. "There must have been something that week where she was watching out for the freshmen. She had a motherly instinct about her.

"She was right. We wound up becoming very, very close friends."

Gianna Bova Sgori said Panighetti was her host during her recruiting visit to Madison, which gave way to a unique approach to staying in touch.

"She wrote me letters, which she didn't have to do," Bova Sgori said.

They were hand-written. They were genuine. They were filled with personality.

"I remember thinking that this girl is so cool," Bova Sgori said. 

Panighetti said it was her idea to communicate with Bova Sgori.

Why?  

"I guess because I liked her and I wanted her to know that she was wanted at UW," Panighetti wrote in a text message. "When you find someone who is not only a good swimmer but a great person you want them on your team.

"And I guess I always felt a little nervous and shy when I was being recruited and I wanted any of my recruits to feel comfortable."

Panighetti offered some insight into her athletic personality.

"My club coach who coached me years before college and who I was very close to always said that I would never reach my full potential as a swimmer because I was too well-rounded."

"I think it can be really easy to lose perspective and go down a very selfish road as an athlete at that level, but for me, it was never all about the sport," Panighetti said. "Always put people first."

The three women wound up being close friends to this day. Panighetti said she learned an important lesson from them.

"As I went farther and farther (into her swimming career), I think the pressure started to build a little bit," Panighetti said. "I experienced a lot of anxiety related to swim performance."

Having Pohle Huldeen and Bova Sgori around eased that burden.

"It was the most fun I had my whole time at Wisconsin," Pantighetti said. "They brought a lot of joy back into my life at a time when it was getting to be stressful."

Bova Sgori said Panighetti was a perfectionist, which added to her stress level in the pool, the classroom and her role as captain.

"There was a lot to juggle all the time, especially when you're a perfectionist, making it even harder," Bova Sgori said.

"She was friends with everybody, but sometimes that means not having a close friend."

That's where Pohle Huldeen and Bova Sgori did some of their best work. They helped Panighetti learn how to relax.

"I love her to death," Bova Sgori said.

Being inducted in the UW Athletic Hall of Fame means more than you know about Panighetti.

"Obviously she's been selected for her swimming abilities and she's such a great swimmer," Pohle Huldeen said, "but I would say more than that that she's just a really, really good person."
 

BEST OF THREE

One: They do
Gina and her husband, Patrick, an environmental engineer, got married on mountain bikes in Colorado. They are also avid rafters and skiers.
 
Two: One of the first
Panighetti is the second member of the UW women's swimming and diving team to earn the Big Ten Medal of Honor. Amy Justeson was the first in 1987.
 
Three: Still in the books
Panighetti set school records in the 100 and 200 butterfly events. Her mark in the 200 – 1 minute, 57.92 seconds – still ranks among the top 10 all-time in UW history.