Athletic s@E A Emma Seiberlich ’17 Will Swim in 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
Coach Mike Laitala, Emma Seiberlich ’17, and Tom Andrews of Longhorn Aquatic
For years, Episcopal Academy’s Emma Seiberlich ’17 dreamed of qualifying to swim in the U.S. Olympic Trials. She just had to wait 45 minutes longer than she would have liked to know that her dream had come true. USA Swimming had a live broadcast on September 18 at 2:00 p.m. to announce all of the new 2016 Olympic Trials cut times. And you guessed it, Seiberlich was sitting in one of her EA classes at that time, unable to see the live feed or to even check her cell phone until the class was over. “Right at 2:45, I checked my phone and saw texts from both my mom and my YMCA coach letting me know I got the cut in 200 backstroke,” says Seiberlich. “It was a huge relief. I knew that USA Swimming would be lowering the cut, but I wasn’t sure by how much. The qualifying time was a 2:16.59 and my best is 2:15.51. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.” Those texts let Seiberlich know that the countless miles she has swum have paid off in a big way—with an invite to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. on June 26-July 3. Seiberlich trained this summer in Austin, Tex. with the Texas Longhorn Aquatic Club, a USA Swimming club out of the University of Texas. While in Austin, Seiberlich was surrounded by top-notch swimmers as she trained with a USA Junior Nationals team member and several USA Junior and Senior Nationals meet qualifiers at the Longhorn Aquatic Club. Seiberlich’s exposure to national-level swimmers didn’t end when she finished her training, because she lived this sum-
46 / / C O N N E C T I O N S
mer in Texas with her Aunt Hilary “Huddie” (Walsh) Murray, an accomplished AAU and collegiate swimmer who swam in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Trials, making the finals in 1976. Back at home, she can look up to two of her mother’s other sisters who swam in the Olympic Trials, Stephanie Beilman (1964) and Maura Burke (1980). Now Seiberlich will continue that family U.S. Olympic Trials tradition. “My family actually has a huge email distribution list set up [Emma’s mom has 14 siblings, so it’s the best way to communicate]. A couple hours after the (Olympic Trials) news was out, my Aunt Huddie sent an email to the whole family letting everyone know how excited she is for Omaha,” says Seiberlich. “She’s probably my biggest fan besides my mom and dad.” Seiberlich has plenty of fans at EA, too. “We, as a coaching staff, could not be more proud of Emma and her accomplishment! Making the Olympic Trials is a dream for many, and we are so excited to see her perform at the Trials,” says Episcopal Academy swim coach Brian Kline. Kline continues, “It is obvious that hard work and dedication is a longstanding tradition in their family. While Emma sets her goals high each year, she also understands that ‘Success comes before work only in the dictionary (Anonymous).’ It is with this thought process that she is willing to put in the many hours needed to achieve her success.”