For more commitment articles, be sure to check out SwimSwam’s College Recruiting channel.
If anyone knows the power of belonging to a team, it’s Huntertown, Indiana’s Larissa Nanna, our first high school class of 2016 verbal commit to Siena College. “When I was a sophomore, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She flew all the way from Indiana to Arizona to go to the Mayo Clinic for her surgery. It was really hard on my family because my dad also went with her. My little brother and I got left home with our grandparents. I got a lot of support from my team while my family was going through this and I don’t think I would be where I am now if it weren’t for everyone’s support throughout the years and especially my sophomore year.”
That team Nanna references is Three Rivers Aquatic Club, where Nanna has developed into a solid breaststroker/IMer. She also swims for Carroll High School in Fort Wayne. Nanna won the 100 breast with a lifetime-best 1:06.35 at the 2015 IHSAA Sectional (Fort Wayne South Side) Championship Meet; she also earned a sixth in the 200 IM and swam breast on Carroll’s winning 200 medley relay. At the state meet, had she repeated her 1:06-low she would have made finals (she finished 24th) but she did help the medley relay to a 14th-place finish.
Nanna’s best times include:
| SCY | LCM | |
| 100 breast | 1:06.35 | 1:17.51 |
| 200 breast | 2:26.84 | 2:46.31 |
| 200 IM | 2:14.15 | 2:37.68 |
| 400 IM | 4:47.60 | |
| 500 free | 5:26.66 |
While Nanna’s 200/400 IM times would just barely have missed qualifying for a second swim in the two-final format of the MAAC, both her 100 breast and 200 breast lifetime-bests would have easily put her into the respective “A” finals. Her 100 time would have tied for the second-fastest in prelims, while her 200 would have been sixth.
“I chose Siena because of the homey feel it gave while I was there. When I went on my official visit the girls all made me feel so welcome. I also love that everyone on campus is so inviting. At Siena their policy is to always hold the door for people and I think that is something you just can’t find on any other campus. Siena is just such an awesome school all the way around!”
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email to [email protected]
WOW! WOW! WOW! How impressive!!! You must be so excited!! Good Luck, we all will be cheering for you! Don’t forget to stop by and see us when you come home!! We are so PROUD! Go Saints!! From all your Friends at Pine Valley C
LARISSA, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU. GO SAINTS.
Way to go Larissa, we are proud of you! We always knew you were a Saint, now it is official!