College Recruit Rankings Profile: Five-Star Shannon Vreeland, Class of 2010

PHOENIX, Arizona, October 6. FIVE-star prospect Shannon Vreeland of the Class of 2010 is the next swimmer in our Swimming World College Recruit Rankings Profile series. The all-around performer swims for the Kansas City Blazers and goes to Blue Valley West High.

Anderson, who updates her profile in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks on a regular basis, owns five times that clear the U.S. Olympic Trials cut (an integral part of the rankings system). Those times came in the 100-meter free (56.68), 200-meter free (2:03.26), 200-meter back (2:14.82), 200-meter IM (2:20.36) and 400-meter IM (4:53.04).

To be eligible to be featured in this series, please make sure you create a new profile, or request to take over your admin-created account in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks. Click here for information on how to do so.

Where and when did you start swimming?
I guess I technically started swimming when I was 3 or 4 in pools at local hotels. My parents would periodically take me and my twin sister to local hotels and teach us to swim. I started swimming for a team when I was 8 on the same team I'm on right now, the Kansas City Blazers. I finally got serious about the sport in eighth grade, that's when I quit any other sports I played to focus solely on swimming.

Who would you name as the most influential person and coach in your swimming career?
The most influential people in my swimming career have definitely been my parents and my coach. My parents have supported me through all my good meets and through my really rough meets. Without them, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today. My coach Pete Malone has been a huge influence in my swimming. Since I've started swimming for him, I've been able to do things I personally would have deemed impossible. He always seems to know what my potential is and he has a plan to help me get there.

What, to this point, is your best moment in the sport and why?
This year at Junior Nationals I swam the 200 backstroke as a bonus event. I had qualified for Junior Nationals in that event in 8th grade but I hadn't been near that time since then. I was seeded something like 120th in heat 5 out of 26. I ended up dropping 8 or 9 seconds and coming back 3rd that night going into finals. It was my best moment because I'd been psyching myself out of that event for a couple of years and it was nice to finally get over it and see what I could do if I really put my mind to it.

Walk us through a day of practice:
We have practice from 5-6:45 Monday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesday and Saturday we have weights in the mornings. In the afternoon, we have practice every day 4-7. On Tuesdays and Fridays we practice until 7:30. Saturday, we practice 7-10.

What is your favorite set?
10 400 IMs. We do it almost every Friday morning. It isn't all straight 400 IMs, some are 50 kick, 50 swim, or 50 drill, 50 swim. We also do 4 100 IMs on short rest and stuff like that. Numbers 5 and 10 are always IMs for time. I like doing this set because I get to work on every stroke along with drills, kicking and racing. Sometimes we do the set again at night as "finals". I like to see how fast I can go again after already doing the set once.

What is your least favorite set?
My least favorite set is pretty much anything to do with zoomers. We do a six-week set where every Thursday we do a 2,000 kick for time with zoomers and snorkels. The set itself isn't bad but no matter what I do the zoomers cut up my feet.

What are your short-term goals?
I want to improve my short course times in general, they generally don't match up to my long course times as much as I'd like them to. Improving my breaststroke and my sprints is also a goal because they are my weakest events. Breaking 2 minutes in the 200 back is another short term goal.

What are your long-term goals?
Academically, I'd like to graduate then go to law school. Athletically, my goals are to contribute a lot to my college team at both conference and NCAAs. I'd like to eventually final at NCAAs and do well at the Olympic Trials in 2012.

Is there anything else that you'd like our readers to know about you?
Well, as i mentioned before, I have a twin sister but we look nothing alike. While I'm 6-2, she's 5-6 or 7. I have curly reddish brown hair, and she has straight blond hair. We're about as opposite as can be. Also, while I haven't swam for my high school, I have gone to State for debate.

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