Dec 25, 2023 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

Christmas came a week early for Mapletown graduate Ella Menear at the Almost Heaven LC Open Dec. 18 in Morgantown at The Aquatic Center at Mylan Park.

Menear swam the 100-meter backstroke in a personal-best time of 1:01.54 to not only win the race but qualify for the Olympic Trials.

The meet was held exclusively as a last chance for NCAA athletes to make the Olympic Trials cut, and Menear traveled to Morgantown from the University of Alabama, where she is a member of the women’s swimming team.

“The US Open is in early December and we were going to compete in that, but the entries were already filed and USA Swimming puts a cap on how many can compete in that event,” the Crimson Tide freshman said. “It was great to be able to come back to where I did so much of my training and swam at the club level and compete for a spot at the Olympic Trials. My parents were able to attend the meet and my old club coach came, plus my coach from Alabama.”

The Olympic Trials are scheduled for June 15-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The heats in the 100 backstroke are scheduled for June 17 and the final is the next day.

The top-two finishers in the event will be added to the United States Olympic Swimming Team and one or two others have the potential to be selected for relay teams, but those spots are not guaranteed. Menear is looking to be a member of the team, but she understands the challenge of competing against some of the best swimmers in not only the country but the world.

“My goal is to take it all in,” Menear said. “This is the meet that every swimmer dreams of. I told my dad, ‘Who would’ve thought of little Ella doing something like this?’ I also hope I can be an inspiration for younger girls in swimming to help them realize that you can accomplish anything, regardless of where you come from.”

Menear’s story is well documented throughout the swimming community in Southwestern Pennsylvania, as she was the lone swimmer for the Maples in high school but won three state and six WPIAL championships. She has adjusted to life in the south and is happy to be surrounded with other swimmers in her first season at Alabama.

“Southern hospitality is definitely real, and the girls team is really close,” Menear said. “It is also a big factor to be surrounded by like-minded people. The seniors on the team decorated the lockers for the incoming freshmen, which was really nice.

“We also go to the football games, and that atmosphere is amazing. We try to support other sports programs, too. The weather is great. We are still able to swim outside at this time of year.”

Menear also competes in the 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley. Her personal best in the 200-meter backstroke is 1:55.36, and her low mark for the 200-meter IM is 2:19.36.

The races at the collegiate level are normally in yards, but they are measured in meters at the Olympic level.

Menear’s best times in yards are: 52.67 in 100 backstroke; 1:55.36 in 200 backstroke; and 2:00.47 in 200 IM.

“It is just something I have to adjust to in regards to yards versus meters, but I primarily work on my backstroke,” Menear said. “When I was in high school, I played volleyball during the fall, but my athletic focus on swimming is all on swimming.

“We swam at the Tennessee Invite in the middle part of the fall season against some very fast teams, and I was able to hit my PR (personal record) in all my events. I have done a lot more training on specific aspects of swimming and worked very hard on technique.”

Menear was the lone Alabama swimmer to compete in Morgantown, but she will have several of her teammates with her at the Olympic Trials.