Engel Prepares For Olympic Trials

Marissa Engel had a feeling at last July's Speedo Sectionals. As the Cyclone senior-to-be was preparing to jump in the pool at the University of Minnesota, she knew something special could be on the horizon.

"In the morning session I dropped time from my seed and right before I got in the pool for the 200 back finals I was on cloud nine. I was ready to race," Engel said. "I still remember that feeling: I had no worries and knew what I needed to do with my stroke and I knew what I was going to do for each 50 [meters]. I was really happy to see that time on the wall."

The time next to her name on the scoreboard read 2:16.55. Marissa Engel had qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha.

In the 11 months since, Engel has let no time in the water go to waste. The Grayslake, Illinois, native capped her Iowa State career with a stellar season that featured 21 top-two finishes, a pair of All-Big 12 Second Team honors and academic recognition from the Big 12 (First-Team) and CSCAA (Honorable Mention Scholar All-American).

After helping guide the Cyclones to their third-straight top-three finish at the conference championship, Engel's focus returned to Omaha. Training to compete with some of the sport's top athletes was a tall task, but Engel knew it would be made a little easier by gearing up with some familiar faces in Ames.

"It's the biggest team that I've ever had [stay in Ames] this summer," Engel said. "In the past it's been maybe five or seven girls, but I think we have at least ten girls training here this summer. It's really awesome for the team and I'm so happy they stayed and trained with us."

Engel and her Cyclone Swimming Club teammates started the offseason by getting in the water at Furman Aquatic Center at 6 a.m. three days a week. Add in weight lifting at the gym and afternoon practices at Beyer Pool and summer was proving to be anything but a vacation.

"It's hard to wake up in the morning so it's good to have people there in the morning struggling and fighting through the same thing," Engel said. "Some of us do a lot of the same sets so I have Harper [Emswiler] there every day to beat me off the wall and make sure my walls are really fast."

Engel's training has tapered the past couple weeks to make sure her body and mind are fully prepared for the Trials. Lately the routine has involved plenty of foam rolling and no heavy lifting.

Preparation for the Olympic Trials has been taken very seriously, even though she has realistic expectations for the result.

"I will probably – and I'm saying this because I know – I will probably only compete once at Trials," Engel said of her prospects for a top-24 finish to qualify for semi-finals. "I know how hard it is to stay motivated once you're done collegiately, so now I'm competing for me. Anything that happens, I'm going to be happy with."

Having a somewhat lasseiz-faire attitude toward her placing may seem in direct conflict with the drive necessary for an athlete to reach the level of competing to join Team U.S.A.

In Engel's mind, however, the Olympic Trials present a kind of "nothing to lose" scenario. The odds of a swimmer from Grayslake – population: just over 21,000 – making it to this stage are small enough that swimming in Omaha is a commendable feat unto itself. Even the timing of the summer games had to be just right or it may not have been possible.

"It just kind of worked out perfectly that it's after my fourth year of eligibility. I'm kind of lucky with that, so thanks, mom and dad," Engel joked.

As she acknowledges her chances of advancing to the finals look slim, Engel also understands that the race awaiting her the morning of July 1 represents something far greater than just another race.

The jump from the block, the three turns, the touch of the final wall and the 200 meters between all of that represent the final hoorah of an accomplished career.

"It'll be like the final be-all and end-all for my career and put that final stamp on it," Engel said.

Whatever the clock says next to "Engel" after the final 50 meters will be all that the official record book reflects. The experience of going out on this stage in front of a plethora of friends and family won't be remembered in that book, but it always be by Engel.

"I'm really looking forward to the experience of all of it. My boyfriend's family is coming, my family is coming, so many girls on the [Iowa State] team are coming," Engel said. "It's just going to be fun."

Players Mentioned

Marissa Engel

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Iowa State University Athletics