Gamecock swimmer Emma Reiser had her mind set on making the 2024 Summer Olympic Trials in May. Needing to swim a 4:15.59 or faster for the 400 freestyle, Reiser missed the time by just milliseconds with a 4:15.74.
But Reiser didn't give up after this race. Instead, she made it her end-of-summer goal to reach the 400 freestyle U.S. Olympic swimming trial time.
During her last state meet with her club team, Reiser swam a 4:14.17, beating the once-needed time by over a second. Just a few weeks later, she received an email announcing her selection for the USA National Junior Swim Team based off of her 400 freestyle time.
“I was so excited. This is one of the biggest things that has happened in my swimming career so far," Reiser said. "I honestly was shocked ... and I was so happy."
The National Junior Team selected only 34 female swimmers this year from across the country, ranging from different events and distances. To be even considered for selection, swimmers had to meet a certain time in an event, along with other criteria, and the Gamecock swimming and diving team had two athletes make the team — Reiser and freshman swimmer Sianna Savarda.
“I was selected based off of a time that I went this summer, and I didn't really know anything about the team or what it was until I got the email about a week or two ago,” Reiser said. “I had no idea that I was up for it.”
Reiser began her swimming career around second grade when she joined the Swim Atlanta club. After finding out her selection for the national team was based off of her last club swim meet, this made the race and meet even more special than before, she said.
“It gives me some confidence for this season coming in and just being able to be a part of this team is super cool, and I'll be able to have those connections that I can use and then use it towards my training moving forward," Reiser said. "It's super cool that this is all happening at one time. I'm part of two new teams at once.”
Along with Reiser, Savarda was also selected to the team but for the 10k open water race. Recently, Savarda raced in the World Aquatics Open Water Championships in Alghero, Italy, landing a 2:25:44.90 time. With this, she automatically qualified for the team a few weeks after the race.
"I knew I was selected to the World Junior roster ... but I had no idea that means I also qualified for the Junior National team. I had just woken up from a nap, and I ran into Emma's room because I saw her name on the team, and then I saw my name on the team," Savarda said. "We kind of had a little freak out and celebration together, and it was just super cool that we're roommates, and we’re both freshmen."
Savarda started swimming at a young age and later joined the Sandpipers of Nevada swim team. She has raced nationally and internationally with her club team and has been able to compete in multiple different countries, including Germany and Greece. The club is also known for producing Olympic swimmers, such as Katie Grimes, who recently competed in the 2020 and 2024 games for distance events.
"There are a lot of kids on my club team who have been on the junior national team and national team for open water. It's like a Sandpiper thing. We are kind of known that everyone does open water," Savarda said. "We kind of just do a lot of distance training. You either love it or you don't, but you're going to do open water. Thankfully I love it."
With this selection to be on the team, both Reiser and Savarda will have a weeklong training camp to attend in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the Olympic Training Center.
“We get a bunch of cool gear, and we take a bunch of classes on what it means to be on the junior team. We learn about things like nutrition and doping and just what it means to swim at that level,” Savarda said. “We'll do some team bonding activities, and we'll get together and do practices ... (for) the groups of what we made the team for.”
South Carolina head swim and dive coach Jeff Poppell was also not aware that both Reiser and Savarda were up for selection for the team until it was announced, he said.
“When it was announced and I saw both of them on there, I was thrilled ... I was really pleased by it and excited about it, but I was kind of surprised," Poppell said. "I just didn't know they were in contention for it, but they did have great summers and great years as (high school) seniors, so it makes sense now looking back on it.”
With the selection, Poppell said that both Reiser and Savarda have established themselves in their events coming out of high school and can continue to do so over their collegiate careers. Poppell said he believes Savarda can continue to represent the Gamecock swim and dive team at an international level and that Reiser can submit herself into the Gamecocks record books and even at the NCAA level as a distance free style swimmer.
The selections can also help further the teams' confidence as the season progresses, Poppell said.
"They come in with an air of confidence that I think is really positive for the rest of their teammates because that's the type of confidence we are trying to instill with our entire program," Poppell said.
South Carolina's swim and dive team will have its first meet of the season when it faces both Georgia and Vanderbilt on Oct. 11 at 4 p.m.