Willowbrook senior ready to make a splash at IHSA Girls Swimming & Diving State meet

For more than a decade, the swimming pool has been Kelly McNamara’s second home.

And for the past four years, the Addison Trail-Willowbrook Girls Swim Team has been her second family. McNamara, a senior at Willowbrook, has had a slew of successes during her high school swimming career – most notably winning a silver medal in the 100-yard butterfly during last year’s Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Swimming & Diving State meet and being named as an All-American this past spring. Athletes who receive that honor are in the top 100 high school swimmers in the U.S. for a given event.

As McNamara heads into the championship portion of her final high school season, she’s focused on making a repeat appearance at State on Nov. 21 and 22. She hopes to compete in the 50-yard freestyle; the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay with Willowbrook senior Molly Hill, Addison Trail senior Gabriella Morrone and Willowbrook junior Meghan Koterba; and, of course, the 100-yard butterfly.

District 88 recently sat down with McNamara to talk about her final season, her future plans and what she has learned from more than 10 years of swimming.

GOING INTO YOUR LAST HIGH SCHOOL SEASON, HAVE YOU APPROACHED ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR?
I swam a lot during the summer to make sure I was ready to go when the season started. It’s definitely a little different this year because it’s my last chance to perform well. But I’m feeling confident, and I just want to enjoy my last year with the Addison Trail-Willowbrook Team.

YOUR COACH, PAUL ANDERSON, HAS SAID YOU ROUTINELY EXCEED HIS EXPECTATIONS. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO CONTINUE GETTING IN THE POOL EVERY DAY?
(Laughs) I honestly don’t know. It’s not easy work, that’s for sure. It’s a lot of time, energy and commitment. We condition nearly every morning and practice almost every afternoon, so it’s tough. But I just keep going – it’s part of my life and part of who I am.

THAT HARD WORK CERTAINLY SEEMS TO HAVE PAID OFF. YOU HAD QUITE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON LAST YEAR. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO RECEIVE THOSE AWARDS?
It’s pretty cool. We all put in a lot of dedication, and it’s nice to be recognized for your efforts.

THROUGH THE LAST FOUR YEARS, YOU SEEM TO HAVE GROWN INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE ON THE TEAM. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOU’VE HAD ON YOUR TEAMMATES?
I hope I help motivate everyone to stay positive and encourage them. We have an extra challenge with not having a pool at our school, so I try to make sure everyone keeps an upbeat attitude. We spend a lot of time traveling to the pool at Club Fitness in Addison when we could be swimming, which can be frustrating. I try to set a good example of overcoming that adversity. I always tell them not to take it too seriously and to have fun.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
I’m looking into The University of Iowa, University of Kentucky, Indiana University and University of Minnesota. I’m not sure which major I want to pursue, but I do plan to continue swimming.

Next up for McNamara and the Addison Trail-Willowbrook Girls Swim Team is Conference on Nov. 1 at Hinsdale South.