On Thursday, Nov. 17, 2023, Upper Dublin senior Emma McCarthy was recognized for committing to continue her swimming career at Merrimack College.
Emma McCarthy – Merrimack College (Swimming)
Major: Elementary Education
Final list of colleges: Merrimack, Providence
Reasons for choosing Merrimack: “I knew I wanted to go to the Northeast for school, ideally New England because a lot of my family lives in Massachusetts. I also wanted a smaller school that had an elementary education major. Merrimack checked all those boxes plus more. I also really like the coach and team, and I feel like it will be a good fit for me in every aspect.”
What was the progression that led you to compete in swimming at the collegiate level? “I figured out I wanted to play a sport in college my sophomore year after COVID and being stuck in my house. I really realized that sports mean a lot to me physically and mentally, and I thrive with a lot of structure in my day. When I first started this process, I was only looking to play water polo in college. I was talking to a couple of coaches, but no school seemed like an ideal fit for me or stood out. There aren’t a lot of Division 1 water polo schools, especially on the east coast, so I already had very limited options. I hadn’t considered swimming in college because I wasn’t sure if I was good enough. Around halfway through my junior year, I began researching swimming schools, realized my times are as fast as a lot of these Division 1 schools, and had a ton of new options.”
Coach Brandon Pierce says: “What makes Emma so good is her positive outlook and her determination to compete and just go out and race the best swimmers. No matter who they are, she feels like she can compete with them at every level. Emma is a captain this year, and there’s not a day that she comes into the pool and isn’t smiling and bringing a positive energy to the team”
About Emma:
Favorite food: Chicken Parmesan
Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds
Favorite artist: The Lumineers
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