West Windsor resident sets fly mark
By: Justin Feil
As part of last week’s Sports Illustrated’s Where Will They Be section on future athletic stars, Wayne resident Felicia Lee was introduced as the next great Olympic swimmer.
It was the second time in Sports Illustrated for Lee, who also was featured in their Faces in a Crowd section two years ago. Lee is launching her own Website this year.
Just a few years behind Lee, and closing with an impressive kick, is a local swimmer, Emily Schroeder.
The West Windsor resident recently won six events at the Summer Solstice hosted by her team, Hamilton YMCA Aquatics Club, at Princeton University’s DeNunzio Pool. Included in the wins was a 1:13.66 victory in the 100 butterfly that eclipsed the state record for girls 10-and-under set by none other than Lee. Schroeder liked topping the time of Lee, whose mention she saw in Sports Illustrated.
"I was looking at that," said Schroeder, who will be a fifth grader at the Village School. "It was pretty cool."
Her friends and classmates understand that Schroeder is quite a talented swimmer, but they may not understand just what level she has reached already. Each year, she has made impressive strides.
"When I was 8, I made 11 Junior Olympic times," Schroeder said. "I made nine zone times by last year."
Schroeder represented New Jersey in March at the Eastern Zones. She finished second overall in total points scored, and was edged by three-hundredths of a second by Middle Atlantic’s Lauren Rhodes for the gold medal in the 50 fly.
"For the near future, I want to get a gold in zones," Schroeder said. "Last year, I was swimming the fly and got touched out. I got a sliver medal."
It takes a national meet for Schroeder to get much competition. She has no problem, however, in finding motivation at the more local meets, including the Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association meets she will compete in this summer as well as the bigger meets like the Junior Olympics at Rutgers University at the end of the month.
"I swim to get a record or to get a best time," Schroeder said. "I don’t really have a lot of competition usually. In races, I’m ahead by a lot. I don’t have anyone to pace me. In zones, I’ll have other kids near me.
"I don’t feel any pressure," she added. "I’m just used to winning my races."
It’s been difficult for anyone to stay near Schroeder since she began competitively swimming as a 7-year-old. With a pool in her backyard, Schroeder has been swimming almost as long as she has been walking. It didn’t take her long to realize she had a gift for swimming and getting from one length to another in a hurry.
"I noticed I was pretty fast at it," said Schroeder. "I thought I’d do pretty well."
Schroeder played travel soccer until this year and continues to play the piano. Swimming, though, is starting to take on a bigger priority in her life. She trains for an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes six days per week with her HAC teammates. She credits the coaching of Sue Welsh and Sandra Franc for working on her strokes for her steady improvements. It’s helped her move into position to threaten several state records and come away from meets like the Summer Solstice with six gold medals.
"I didn’t think I would get all of these," Schroeder said, adding, "My favorite stroke is the butterfly because I’m good at it."
In addition to winning the 100 fly at the Summer Solstice, Schroeder also won the 200 freestyle in 2:28.65, the 50 free in 31.65, the 100 backstroke in 1:17.15, the 50 fly in 33.29 and the 100 free in 1:08.79.
"I’m working on my breaststroke," she said. "I was swimming and just got the zone time in the 50. That was a big thing for me. I swim IM a lot."
As Schroeder continues to fine-tune her strokes, she becomes a more dangerous all-around swimmer. She is closing in on a number of records, and has to be considered a serious threat since she won’t turn 11 until December. And as she grows into a better swimmer, she ensures that she will be a contender at the highest levels for years to come, and perhaps even subject of a Sports Illustrated piece.

