From the onset of her time with the Belles volleyball team, Rosemary was lauded by her head coach as "a strong hitter with sound defensive capabilities" before her freshman season even began. Time and time again in that first year, she brought that vision to fruition. She hit better than 50 percent in a match against Goshen, added five service aces in the Belles' next meeting against Goshen, and later combined for another hitting effort above the 50 percent plateau in two matches against Taylor and Notre Dame. When the season came to a close in 1980, Rosemary was named as the team Most Valuable Player as a freshman.
After competing with the volleyball team in her sophomore season, Rosemary made the move to the swimming and diving team in her junior year and made an immediate impact. She was a key contributor in a variety of events for the Belles as she competed in the 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 50 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, medley relays, and freestyle relays. In a highly competitive meet against neighboring Notre Dame, Rosemary turned in national qualifying times in three individual events all while finishing in the top four in each of those events. A few short weeks later, she helped the Belles qualify for the NAIA National Meet as a team – a first for the swim program. Rosemary helped the 200 medley relay to a ninth-place finish, the 400 medley relay to an eleventh-place finish, and the 800 freestyle relay to an eleventh-place finish as she earned three All-American accolades in 1983. Additionally, she was part of school records in the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 200 free relay, and 800 free relay in her first season on the squad.
Named a captain in her senior year on the swim team, Rosemary continued to shine. Another stellar regular season led to her second NAIA Nationals appearance at season's end. This time around, she qualified to compete in the 100 and 200 backstroke as an individual while being part of the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, and 400 free relay. She went on to earn a pair of All-American honors and was part of a 400 free relay group which finished in twelfth place.
When all was said and done, Rosemary concluded her career as a five-time All-American in just two seasons with the Belles swim team.
