Swimmer Moves A Step Closer To Olympic Trials

Posted

Maryland has produced a handful of great swimmers, including Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and others. Severna Park’s Morgan Sloan is hoping to be the next.

Sloan, a current sophomore at Severna Park High School and year-round swimmer, recently qualified for this summer’s Speedo Futures Championships. These championships represent the next step in eventually qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials and, ultimately, the U.S. Olympic team.

Competing primarily in the 100-meter butterfly, Sloan swims both for Severna Park and for a DMV-area (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) club team, Machine Aquatics. At his latest club sectionals meet, Sloan was able to drop his time and qualify for the championship.

“My suit ripped right before my race and I was panicking; I had to borrow somebody else’s suit,” Sloan said. “I just ended up dropping a lot of time.”

While the qualification for the Speedo Championship represents a big moment for Sloan in his swimming career, it has been a part of a years-long process. From early mornings to long drives, Sloan has been committed to improving and chasing his goals.

“With COVID, it’s hard to get pool space, so practice times have been pretty much 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning,” Sloan said. “I don’t live close to the pool, so sometimes it’s waking up at 5:00, sometimes earlier, just to get to practice.”

Getting his start at about 10 years old, Sloan began his swimming career on a summer swim team. He credits noticing other swimmers’ year-round approach toward him beginning to train the same way. Now in high school, Sloan has seen a lot of this hard work and dedication pay off. His family has also noticed.

“There’s no shortcuts, there are no style points,” said Scott Sloan, Morgan’s father. “The thing about swimming is that what is on the clock is what rules the day. So, you're either going to put the work in and get a result or not. It’s really rewarding to see that pay off.”

The Speedo Future Championships take place in Richmond, Virginia, and will last four days, spanning from July 29 to August 1.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here