Audrey Williams
Online sports editor
After breaking three records at Mira Costa as a freshman and competing on Beach Cities Swimming for seven years, sophomore Alex Crisera was only six tenths of a second away from the Olympic trials.
After beginning to swim at age six and competing by age eight, Crisera has shown intense passion and drive in her swim career thus far.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a really successful swim career and have had one of my best seasons this past summer,” Crisera said.
Crisera noticed her times dropping quickly this year and began to realize that her goal of competing in the Olympic trials, which has always seemed unreachable, was not so impossible and unrealistic.
“Last summer I got within six seconds of the cut so I set my goal to make olympic trials the next summer,” Crisera said. “At the time it seemed far fetched and just an idea that maybe I’d do but not very likely.”
However as the Olympic trials in Omaha arrived, Crisera’s time at her final meet, the Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine, was six tenths of a second off the qualifying time for the 200 meter backstroke coming in with 2:17.26. She was also six tenths of a second off in her other two events, the 100 meter backstroke at 1:04.03 and the 50 meter freestyle at 26.67 seconds.
“I wasn’t looking to make the Olympic team or anything,” Crisera said. “But just to go to the trials would have been amazing.”
Because she was less than a second away from making the qualifying time, Crisera plans on continuing her training through Beach Cities Swimming, and Costa’s swim team to achieve that time she needs.
“Well missing the trials definitely motivated me to work harder,” Crisera said. “I’m going to try to qualify to trails in the next four years.”
After only being six tenths of a second behind the qualifying time for all events, Crisera later improved her time for the 200 meter backstroke to just one tenth seconds behind the cut. With this time, Crisera is only around 10 seconds behind the Rio Olympic gold medalist Madeline Dirado in the 200 meter backstroke. Despite her personal growth, Crisera also gives credit to her coach and her teammates.
“My coach Monique Shelton was the first one to actually believe that I could qualify for this meet,” Crisera said. “Even though I didn’t have any teammates trying to make the trials with me at the time, they were all very supportive. The people that I meet through swimming are some of my best friends and I’m so grateful for them.”
Originally starting as a soccer player and then a swimmer, Crisera chose to quit playing on the field and focus on her career in the water. After joining Beach Cities Swim, Crisera has spent the majority of her swim career on that team along with other students at Costa. Sophomore Riley Farrell is one of Crisera’s long time teammates.
“I’ve swam with Alex for a long time now, but this past year was probably her best,” Farrell said. “She got closer than anyone would’ve thought to making the trials and she was really determined to do it.”
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