San Benito’s Shelli Reed competed at the Grand Prix Invitational
for the third time recently
Hollister
When a high school swimmer competes at the elite Grand Prix Invitational, it’s like taking an Advanced Placement course in Physics, but only if the class is graded on a curve and Albert Einstein just so happens to sit in front of you.
San Benito High junior Shelli Reed made her third appearance to the prestigious swim meet on the weekend of April 4 at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center, and recorded times that were displayed alongside world record-holder Natalie Coughlin and fellow Olympians Megan Jendrick and Dana Vollmer.
“There are levels of meets and that’s a level of meet where you’re swimming alongside NCAA swimmers and Olympians,” San Benito coach Christine Schafer said. “That’s good exposure.”
In a meet that acts as a spotlight event for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Grand Prix houses the best from the high school, college and amateur ranks.
Reed was able to get “college credit” -by competing in front of college recruiters and scouts – while also able to see where she stacks up with the Einstein’s of the sport.
“It was really scary going into it,” Reed said. “All the college swimmers and Olympians are there to take care of business. They’ve been there every time. But you’re all there to swim and you just have to remember that.”
In the 100-meter freestyle, Reed finished in 58th place with a 1:00.36, but just three seconds behind Coughlin (57.14), who owns the fastest time in the 100 free by an American.
Reed qualified for the Grand Prix in the 100 free and the 100 butterfly (58th, 1:06.41), and also picked up bonus races in the 100 backstroke (46th, 1:08.80) and the 200 freestyle (60th, 2:12.52) as well.
Shedding approximately one second off of each of her times, Reed was pleased with her performance at the top-flight event.
“Swimming with college kids, it’s a whole other playing field,” said Reed, who admitted that the top competition forced her to push herself a little more in the pool. “These Olympians are your idols. They’re not really watching you, but to be on the same deck with them is an honor.
“But being in front of college recruiters, I think that was more intimidating. You want to perform to the best of your ability in front of them.”
With college recruiters unable to talk to high school juniors until July 1, they should be well-aware of the leading Lady ‘Baler, who competed at the Stanford Grand Prix her freshman year and the Santa Clara Grand Prix her sophomore year.
But despite owning seven qualifying times to the year-end Central Coast Section meet already, Reed admits that the Grand Prix gets to her every time.
“It’s still a new thing every time you go,” she said. “It’s still scary and intimidating … Before the race, I try to think of the race and vision it in my mind. It helps calm my nerves when I can see what I’m gonna do in the race.
“There’s always gonna be people in front of you. You just need to catch them.”
Although Reed never competed in the same heats with Coughlin, Vollmer or Jendrick, she was in the pool with some of the top swimmers in college, including Monterey’s Sierra Burton, who Reed knows personally and who is now with Washington State University.
In the 100 free, for instance, Reed finished less than two seconds behind Burton.
“Bottom line, she’s swimming with college-level kids,” Schafer said. “For her now, she’ll see that she can still compete in that arena.”
