Chatham Grad Qualifies For Olympic Trials

Chatham residents could soon have the chance to watch Greta Leberfinger take to the pool again.

Leberfinger, a freshman at Marist University, competed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Swimming Invitational on Feb. 22 and bested the trial standards by more than 0.3s of a second in the 100-meter breaststroke.

"The cut was like 1:12:19, and I was a 1:11.88," Leberfinger said. "I swam in the morning and [my time] was 1:12.66, but I knew later my team would be there to cheer me on. ... When everyone else is doing well, you just get pumped and you want to perform well."

Leberfinger will go on to compete in the 100 breaststroke at the Olympic Trials from June 25 to July 2 in Omaha, Neb. "I'm pretty close in the 200 [breastroke] too, so hopefully I'll get another opportunity to try that again."

To prepare for the trials, Leberfinger said she plans to stay at Marist after classes end to train with her coach. "I get a little break now from swimming, but I'm staying here after school for two months. I'll live off campus, start weight training and [go] back to doing mornings and trainings."

If she finishes among the top performers at Trials, Leberfinger will be a part of the U.S. Olympic womens swim team in London this summer.

Leberfinger was a captain of the 2011 girls swim team, which won the state championships. As , she now spends six days a week swimming and four days a week in the weight room. "It's so hard, it's so hard. I honestly can't tell you," she said. "It's intense. I never knew it would be this demanding.

"It's worth it, though. ... I like being a freshman again. It’s fun, it’s so fun. I love the team, we’re really supportive," she said.

Leberfinger ranks in the top of the nation's 100- and 200-yard breastroke swimmers. At the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, held in February in Buffalo, N.Y., she earned gold medals in the following events:

• 200-yard individual medley
• 200-yard breaststroke
• 200-yard medley relay
• 400-yard medley relay

She also earned silver in the 100-yard breaststroke.