Angela Cross

Sophomore Evie Pfeiffer stands by her grandmother, Ardeth Mueller’s, exhibit at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Pfeiffer’s grandmother went to the 1956 Olympic Trials in Detroit for the 100m fly, placing eighth in the nation. “It feels great to be a third generation swimmer, I love that there are so many years of swimming [in my family] that I can be compared to, and I can’t wait to further our legacy,” Pfeiffer said.

Taking the national spotlight, sophomore Evie Pfeiffer is training for the June 2016 Olympic trials.

Outside of school, Pfeiffer swims with the Flyers’ Aquatic Swim Team, a club team through the Lindbergh School District.

“She went from a local kid that showed promise, to a national-level swimmer that is currently ranked in the top ten in the country in several events. She [has] become one of the best overall swimmers St. Louis has ever produced,” Flyers Aquatic Swim Club coach Ian Cross said.

Pfeiffer has already attempted to qualify for Olympic trials in the past, and will continue to pursue her dream.

“I wasn’t expected to qualify for trials [previously], but I will be this summer. Qualifying is all about the timing of the opportunities. I’m not too worried about making it or not because I am confident that I can qualify this summer when I have multiple chances,” Pfeiffer said.

Cross attributes her success in swimming to her dedication and hard work, which she displays by never missing practices, attending every meet and always being willing to improve.

“Her work ethic and attitude are simply unmatched. She works her tail off everyday, and she is always positive. Even more importantly, she takes responsibility for her swimming,” Cross said. “If she swims well she owns it, and if she doesn’t she owns it as well.”

Pfeiffer practices six times per week for two hours.

“We do dryland training, this includes exercises such as push ups, core and leg work. Also, in the water, we have access to different equipment that [is used] as resistance training, like parachutes, bungee cords and power racks. These exercises are really important because to be good at swimming you have to be really good at pulling your own weight through the water,” Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer finds her motivation in higher-level athletes and her teammates.

“A lot of people assume that swimming is based on what you can do individually, but in reality, the better you perform as an individual, the better you make your team. But I’m most inspired by the college swimmers I get to compete against,” Pfeiffer said. “I admire how focused they are on being good teammates; cheering whenever they have a swimmer in a race. I look forward to getting the opportunity to being on a team where everyone is motivated to do well for their team.”

Pfeiffer’s coach believes that she has tremendous potential and is capable of being even more successful in the sport.

“Evie has the ability to swim at Olympic Trials and any university she wants to. What separates Evie from everybody else is her competitiveness,” Cross said. “She will do everything in her power to win. She is the most complete female athlete I have ever coached.”