Local swimmer soaks up Olympic Trials experience

The real gravity of it all didn’t hit Katie Schorr until she had arrived at the CenturyLink Center.

Sure, the standout swimmer for SouthWest Aquatics’ SouthWest Stars team and rising junior at Montverde Academy knew she was traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, for the United States Olympic Trials. But it wasn’t until she took in the 14,000-seat venue she would be competing in that the magnitude set in fully.

“It’s a completely different environment than normal swim meets,” Schorr said. “It was definitely big and overwhelming. When I first got there, it was kind of confusing figuring out where I was supposed to go.”

Schorr, of Ocoee, competed for a spot on the United States Olympic Team in the 100-meter freestyle, registering a time of 26.49 in her official heat. Although the time did not put the local star within striking distance of a spot on the team, the value of the experience is something SouthWest Stars coach Justin Correia said he and his colleagues at the Winter Garden-based program cannot teach.

“(Olympic trials are) not like any other swim meet out there … there’s nothing we can do (as coaches) to prepare our athletes for a meet like that,” Correia said. “The best way I can describe it is like going to a Magic game, but instead of seeing a basketball court down there, you see a swimming pool. Same arena.”

For Schorr, a two-time state champion, the new challenges she faced were numerous. There was, of course, the size of the crowd, but also a wide-open field of competition that included veteran swimmers of all ages.

And, although she got some of her nerves out participating in a time-trial event in front of a smaller crowd, there was little to prepare her for her official heat — which included plenty of pomp and circumstance as the competitors were all walked out ahead of the race.

“I tried not to look up to see the amount of people watching so I could just focus on my race,” Schorr said.

Things line up nicely for Schorr for the next two Olympic cycles. The 16-year-old standout will be preparing for her junior year of college at the time of the 2020 Olympic Trials and will likely be in contention again in 2024 when she will be 24 years old. In addition to the natural improvements that will come with more work and entering her physical prime, the mental preparation should come easier — especially with the likelihood that she will have a few high-profile college meets in front of large crowds by that time, as well.

“I’m glad I got the experience this year of getting to go to Trials and swim,” Schorr said. “I think for 2020, I’ll definitely be more prepared.”

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].