(above) Mount Saint Mary Academy graduate Shayna Hollander, has qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials in swimming.
Shayna Hollander Qualifies for Olympic Trials in Swimming
Mount Saint Mary Academy has revealed that a member of its 2018 graduating class, Shayna Hollander, has qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials in swimming.
“I am happy to announce that my superlative from senior year has come true and I will be heading to Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska this coming June in preparation for the 2020 Olympics!” shared Shayna, a native of Cranford, NJ who is studying at Duke University.
“My first year and a half at Duke University has been a whirlwind of terrific experiences that I am very grateful for. Qualifying for and getting the opportunity to compete at Olympic Trials has always been my highest goal, so to see it come to fruition surrounded by my teammates is very special.”
Shayna’s swimming career began at 7 years old when she joined the Jersey Gators, a club team.
“Ever since I was little, I have always enjoyed the challenge swimming presents and the dedication it requires,” she said.
During her years at the Mount, she set 6 individual school records and was a part of the Prep-State Champions team her Freshman year. To conclude her high school career, Shay won the State Champion title in the 100 back at the Meet of Champions and in this, set a new NJ High School State record.
Shayna shared, “At Duke, I plan on majoring in Psychology and Global Health while on the pre-med track, with the goal of pursuing a career in the medical field.”
This past semester, she was accepted in the CAPE (Collegiate Athlete Premedical Experience) Program, which is comprised of 30 female athletes from various sports and years at Duke.
“The main goal of CAPE is to gain exposure to the medical field by developing relationships and shadowing physicians of different specialties throughout the Duke University Hospital, as well as provides the opportunity to intern at the Brain Tumor Center during the summer before graduation,” explained Shayna. “The CAPE Program also supplies me with a supportive environment of girls with similar interests, fostering friendships with other athletes who I may not have crossed paths with otherwise.”
“In the coming months to gear up to head to Olympic Trials, I will continue to train with my team throughout the remainder of the school year and into the summer under the guidance of my coaches,” she said. “I will be competing at Trials alongside a few of my teammates, which makes for a very motivating and fun training environment leading up to the meet.”
“A typical day starts with being at the weight room for practice starting at 6 a.m., where we complete our workout and then head to the pool for the remainder of our practice that ends at 8 a.m. Our second practice of the day is from 4 to 6 p.m. in the water, where each day we focus on different events and strokes. In between practices, I complete the bulk of my classes (and try to sneak in a nap!). After practice in the evening, I meet with my tutors to catch up on work I have missed due to travel for meets and get ahead on new information,” shared Shayna.
“Although hectic, my days here at Duke are kept entertaining thanks to my teammates who make school and swimming so much more enjoyable and rewarding,” she said.
A highly-accomplished swimmer at the Mount, Shayna received MVP status and credited her Coach Megan Decker and Director of Athletics, Denise Materia, for their support and encouragement.
Ms. Decker said, “I remember having a conversation with Shay one day during her junior season at the Mount and I said, “I’ll be watching you in the Olympics one day!’ It will be so amazing and well deserved if she earns a spot on the U.S. Team. She has such natural talent and a very strong work ethic, so I can see her dreams coming true in 2020!”
