Episcopal Academy’s Maddie O’Reilly is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week

The Episcopal Academy junior had the best swims of her career in the 50 and 100 free at the InterAc Championships, placing second in both events. She also finished first in two relays at the InterAc Championships. She is also a standout water polo performer, and this past summer was one of 28 girls from across the country who made the U.S. national women’s cadet water polo team (which includes high school-aged freshmen and sophomores). It was the second consecutive year she was selected to the team.

Q: What was the key to your success in the 50 free and 100 free at the InterAc Championships?

A: This season, my specific swim group has been weight-lifting at least 2-3 days a week building up both my lower and upper body strength. I think since this year especially I have been very focused on my strength and power for the short distances I swim, it led me to my second place finishes at InterAcs.

Q: You also were part of two first-place relay teams at the InterAc Championships. What was your most vivid memory from the InterAc Championships – can you share it with us?

A: My favorite memory was during the 200 freestyle relay where we knew both GA and Notre Dame would be close to is. Our relay hyped each other up and cheered each other through each length. I was the anchor (last swimmer) for the relay and I loved having all the pressure on me to bring the victory home.

Q: What do you think is your strongest event, and why? What aspect of your swimming have you been working on the most recently?

A: The 50 freestyle is definitely my strongest event because of the power I have been able to build up through dry-land, weight-lifting, and sprint work in the pool. I can race a 50 while only taking one or two breaths, which gives me an advantage since taking breaths causes swimmers to slow down. My lung capacity and kick off the walls have been the aspects of my training lately as we head into the Easterns Championships [Feb. 19-20].

Q: You’ve been swimming for the EA varsity since eighth grade. What, to you, has been the most memorable experience of your Episcopal Academy swimming career (to date) – can you share it with us?

A: Ever since I first joined the team, everyone always talked about the rivalry between us and GA. We had come close to beating them in years past, but this year we finally did it and we got to beat them in our own pool. It was incredible to end the drought of losing to GA, a team that has produced Olympians and constantly produces Division I swimmers.

Q: Can you walk us through a typical day, or cycle, of training?

A: There are two different types of training days. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are the days that we practice from 3:45-6 p.m. after school. My group, which consists of three boys and three girls and is named “Power,” gets in and swims for an hour and a half, and then we go to the weight room where we are instructed through a weight-lifting program that one of our coaches has designed for our group specifically. We yell at each other in the gym to work harder and push for the extra weight and our group has definitely become closely bonded. On Tuesdays and Thursday, just our group practices at 6:15-7:30 a.m. before school, and then we have a high speed cardio dryland after school while the other groups are in the pool.

Q: You began playing water polo in sixth grade. What sparked your interest in water polo?

A: I have swimming to forever thank for helping me find my passion. I was a swimmer all throughout elementary school and I also played travel softball, so I enjoyed swimming and throwing a ball. So, in sixth grade, I decided to set soccer aside for the first time in my life and join the middle school water polo team. There have been zero regrets ditching soccer for water polo.

Q: What  has been your most memorable water polo experience (both for Episcopal Academy and outside EA)?

A: At EA, my most memorable water polo experience was when the school gave us the opportunity to go on a training trip in preseason to Florida in August of 2014. This led to us having one of the best seasons in EA water polo history when we won the Eastern Prep Championships. Outside of EA, on the national team, this past summer we traveled all over southern California training at many different pools and even scrimmaging college teams such as UCSB and Cal State Northridge. It was an incredible experience for myself that I will never forget.

Q: Do you plan to swim for a college program, or just play water polo? What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a particular career path that interests you?

A: I am currently trying to play water polo in college, but am not sure where I will end up. I am interested in a lot of things I might want to major in, but I know it will be something in sciences or medicine. Sports medicine has always intrigued me.

Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Episcopal Academy? What sparked your interest in these activities?

A: At EA, the only extracurricular activity I participate in is the drum line, because it is something that I know won’t interfere with water polo or swimming on the weekends. I heard the drum line play at a school pep rally one year, and really wanted to try it out even though I had no experience in percussion instruments. Now, after two years in the club, I can play bass drum, and have performed playing the snare drum as well.

Fun facts – Maddie O’Reilly

 

Favorite athlete: Roger Federer.

Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Fergalicious.

Favorite place to visit: California.

Favorite pre-meet meal: Pineapple.

Person I most admire: “Coach [Brian] Kline because he comes to practice every day with a smile on his face, not worried about his past or how bad his day was. He creates a happy environment at swim practice and one day if I ever become a coach or a teacher like him, I have learned from him how to make an atmosphere where kids want to succeed.”

Birth date: Feb. 3, 1999 in Paget, Bermuda.

Family members: Jack (15), Katie (19), Sean (21), Christy (mother), Matt (father).

(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)