41 Action News anchor Lindsay Shively will be poolside as the 2016 US Olympic Team Trials for swimming kicks off Sunday and Monday. Here are some of the local Olympic hopefuls we'll be watching.
MICHAEL ANDREW
Michael Andrew, 17, of Lawrence, Kansas faces his first Olympic trials in 2016 after years of already making headlines. He went pro at 14, holds several national age group records, and often trains in the two-lane pool in his Lawrence backyard. His father Peter is his coach and his mother Tina is his manager.
His family and sports writers alike are calling him a dark horse to make the team, particularly in the 100 meter breast stroke. He’ll swim that Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska.
The psych sheet for the trials shows him seeded 11th in that event.
“If he makes it, it will be a miracle,” said his mom, Tina Andrew. “We believe in miracles. We believe. We dream crazy dreams.”
Read the rest of our February 2016 feature on Michael here.
SHANNON VREELAND
Shannon Vreeland, 24, of Overland Park, Kansas is already an Olympic gold medalist. The Blue Valley West grad won a gold medal in the 4 x 200 meter relay at the 2012 London Olympics.
Vreeland is competing in the 100, 200, and 400 freestyle races at the 2016 Olympic trials in Omaha.
No matter what happens at trials or in the Olympics, she is excited to start law school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville this fall. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2014.
You can learn more about Shannon on the USA Swimming website here.
BOBBY BOLLIER
Bobby Bollier, 26, from Mission Hills, Kansas just barely missed the 2012 London Olympics when he placed third in the 200 meter butterfly.
Only the top two swimmers make the team. The Pembroke High School and Stanford grad will be back to compete in the 200 meter butterfly on Tuesday at the 2016 Olympic trials in Omaha. This will be his third Olympic trials.
You can learn more about Bobby on the USA Swimming website here.
EMMA REANEY
Emma Reaney, 23, is from Lawrence, Kansas. She will be swimming in her third Olympic trials in 2016. She will compete in the 100 meter breast stroke, 200 meter individual medley, and 200 meter breast stroke.
She graduated from Notre Dame in 2015, where she also swam. Her student athlete biography for Notre Dame describes her as the most decorated swimmer/diver to ever compete at the school.
You can learn more about Reaney on the USA Swimming website here.
41 Action News sports director Frank Boal featured some other young area swimmers who qualified to swim at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Omaha too. Read more about it here.
_________________
Lindsay Shively can be reached at lindsay.shively@kshb.com.
