Cleary and Ashby shine at Junior Olympics

In August, 104 world-class synchronized swimmers from 24 nations made a name for themselves in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Olympics. But only a month earlier, two HHS students made a name for themselves in a competition of the same caliber: the Junior Olympics.

From June 24 to July 2, synchronized swimmers Maggie Cleary, senior, and Jordan Ashby, junior, attended the 2016 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships, held in Long Island, N.Y. Cleary competed in the team event, which consists of four to eight swimmers, in the 18-19 age group. Ashby competed in the combination event, consisting of 10 swimmers that perform in various groupings throughout the routine, as well as solo and duet routines in the 16-17 age group.

Cleary, who competed in the Junior Olympics for the second time, performed a team routine with her club, the Minnesota Aquafins. She emphasized the entertaining nature of the routine, which came in twentieth place.

“We had a Missy Elliot routine— that was my favorite routine I’ve ever swam. There was so much sass and personality to the swim and it made it unique,” Cleary said. “Plus, we had a dance party every time we heard Missy play!”

According to USA Synchro, this year’s Junior Olympics hosted over 1,000 synchronized swimmers, which can lead to intense competition. Although Cleary thoroughly enjoyed her routine, she noted that at such a high-level competition, it’s easy to become stressed. As a returner to the competition, however, Cleary was able to overcome the pressure.

“This time around was much more different to me specifically,” Cleary said. “I usually have severe anxiety attacks before I swim, and last year I blacked out before my swim because I was so nervous. This year I was so excited and felt no nerves at all.”

Ashby, who placed fourteenth in the solos, twenty-seventh in duets, and sixteenth in the combination, admired the sense of community she built with her team, the Minnesota Synchronettes.

“I think my favorite moment was right after my Combo got out of the pool. Combo has the most people in it, and when your whole team’s together and you all get out and you all know you’ve done really well, that’s exciting,” Ashby said.

Though the two athletes competed through different clubs, their camaraderie through the HHS team continued at the Junior Olympics.

“Another thing that was cool this year was that Maggie was there, and I had never seen her there before. Usually it’s just my team, so it was cool to have her there,” Ashby said.

As Ashby and Cleary continue to prepare for their season with the HHS team, which begins in the spring, they hope to bring a little bit of the Junior Olympics right back home.

“Everyone at [the Junior Olympic] level is incredibly dedicated to synchronized swimming and takes it very seriously. I want to bring back that focus to the Hopkins team,” Cleary said. “Hopkins Synchro is making a name for itself, and I hope that I can leave the team this year knowing that the younger girls feel the same passion I do.”