Ehly Living Dream at Nebraska

This article is the third in a series setting the stage for Nebraska swimmers competing in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, June 26-July 3. Six Huskers from the 2015-16 women's swimming team have qualified for U.S. Trials, and as many as eight more Huskers will be trying to qualify during the Omaha Cup at the CenturyLink Center, June 17-18.

By Jeff Griesch
Huskers.com

Nebraska swimmer Jordan Ehly has been looking forward to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha for years. In fact, since originally qualifying for the trials in the summer of 2013, the junior-to-be from Las Cruces, N.M., has been dreaming of hitting the water at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

“I qualified for the Olympic Trials the summer of my junior year of high school in the 200 breast and that was an incredible day,” Ehly said. “However, with swimming, times do expire, and the qualifying times do get faster. So I no longer had the cut, but I knew that if I had gotten it before, I could get it again. I qualified again at Winter Nationals. It has seemed like a long wait, but at the same time it has gone by incredibly fast.”

Ehly’s anticipation for the trials has reached a fever pitch as the talented Husker has begun to taper her training in preparation for the Omaha Cup (June 17-18).

“I don’t think I have ever been more excited for something in my entire life,” Ehly said. “It has been a dream of mine ever since I started swimming to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The fact that this dream has become a reality is surreal.”

While Ehly has already earned a spot in her favorite event – the 200 breaststroke – at the trials on June 30, she is hoping to add a qualification in the 100 breast and compete in the 200 individual medley at the Omaha Cup. This season, she notched a career-best time of 1:02.66 in the 100 breast at The Big Challenge in Topeka, Kan., where she helped the Huskers to a team title.

“I am very close,” Ehly said. “I am only a couple of tenths off the cut, so fingers crossed!”

Ehly believes her hard work in the pool with Nebraska Head Coach Pablo Morales and Assistant Coach Patrick Rowan over the past two years will pay off in the coming weeks and her final two years in the water with the Huskers.

“I love training breaststroke, and Coach Patrick Rowan’s coaching really works for me,” Ehly said. “I feel confident with Pat and Pablo’s training, so it really makes the whole process super-exciting for me. I truly am living the dream here at Nebraska.”

Morales said Ehly has a chance to make her dreams a reality with the Big Red.

“Jordan came to us as a fairly accomplished swimmer, and we think she is putting herself in a position to make a significant jump in performance,” Morales said. “Jordan is a really good leader and she is unbelievable in training. We are looking forward to her bridging the gap in her training and her competitive performance, because when she does it could be pretty special.”

Ehly is looking forward to higher level results as well. As a freshman, Ehly finished 16th in the 200 breast at the 2015 Big Ten Championships. She added a 20th-place performance as a sophomore in 2016.

“My goals keep getting bigger,” Ehly said. “I want to make it to the A final at the Big Ten Championships next year. It may seem like a big jump, but I’m excited for the training and with what we have been working on, I know it is a reachable goal. I also hope to keep getting closer and closer to qualifying for NCAAs.”

Ehly’s goals at Nebraska reach beyond the pool, and she said the focus of Morales and the Husker program on total-person development have been instrumental in her growth.

“The first conversation I had with Pablo on the phone was by far the best conversation I had with a coach,” Ehly said. “I could tell that he was going to be a coach that didn’t just want me to excel in swimming, but wanted me to excel in other aspects of my life as well. That was huge to me. He is a very genuine person and has such high goals for all the girls on the team. Coach Pablo is one of the most influential people I have ever met, and he gives 110 percent in everything he does for all the girls on the team.”

The advertising and public relations major earned academic All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, and she has taken special pride in contributing to the swimming and diving program’s Herman Team GPA Award, which is presented to the Nebraska team with the highest combined grade-point average.

“I remember coming in as a freshman and hearing the older girls talk about their goal of winning the first-ever Herman GPA Award for the swim team,” Ehly said. “I got so excited hearing them talk about it that it became a big goal of mine. I constantly had that goal in the back of my mind when I was up nights studying late with the other girls, even though we had practice early the next mornings. Winning that award two years in a row is a big reward because I know how hard all of us worked to get it.”

Ehly said Nebraska’s intense team-first attitude in competition and the classroom will be on full display when the Huskers hit the water for the U.S. Olympic Trials at the CenturyLink Center, June 26-July 3.

“I have no doubt that my teammates are going to be cheering as loud as they possibly can for each other in Omaha,” Ehly said. “One of the main reasons I chose Nebraska over any other university was the support I saw from the team and coaches. These girls are like family, and we all just want what is best for each other. I know I am going to be just as excited for their races as I am about mine. It’s just going to be a great experience and competition, that’s for sure.”