Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Florida native Emma Herrera of the Flood Aquatics Swim Team is set to join Liberty University this fall, 2025. Herrera is a mid-distance freestyle/IM specialist and is currently a senior at The King’s Academy.
I love being a part of a school and team training champions for Christ!
The King’s Academy competes in Florida’s Class 1A State Championships, where Herrera has consistently excelled, earning the distinction of a 7x championship finalist by placing in the top 8 at multiple events. Her most impressive performance came this past November, where she claimed 2nd place in the 200 freestyle with a personal best time of 1:48.23 and finished 3rd in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:52.37, narrowly missing her personal best of 4:51.49 set earlier in prelims. Herrera was also crucial in leading The King’s Academy to a 3rd-place team finish in a field of 70 high schools. She was the team’s highest scorer and delivered a 51.87 split in the 400 freestyle relay and anchored the 200 freestyle relay in 23.72.
At the 18&Under Spring Cup in Fort Lauderdale this past May, Herrera earned four top-5 finishes and set four personal bests. In the 200 free, she hit a new PB of 2:02.55 for 5th, and carried that momentum into the 400 freestyle, where she clocked a 4:19.69 to take 2nd place. In the 400 IM, she touched the wall in 5:00.59 for another 2nd-place finish. Herrera also swam the 200 IM, finishing 5th with a time of 2:23.50, just shy of her personal best of 2:21.33 set at Futures – Ocala in 2023.
Best times:
- 100 free – 51.56
- 200 free – 1:48.23
- 500 free – 4:51.49
- 200 IM – 2:04.20
- 400 IM – 4:22.52
- 100 fly – 55.65
- 200 fly – 2:02.09
Liberty University is a Division I mid-major university competing in the ASUN Conference. This past year, they won the ASUN conference title, securing their sixth consecutive conference championship and 7th overall. Before the 2024 season, Liberty was part of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA). However, in August of 2023, the ASUN began sponsoring men’s and women’s swimming and diving, fully absorbing all CCSA institutions. Liberty has just one more season remaining in the ASUN Conference before transitioning to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in June 2025. The university recently announced this move, which will also include James Madison and Marshall. The AAC is expected to become even more competitive with these additions, as James Madison is the reigning Sun Belt Conference champion, and Marshall finished as the Sun Belt runner-up.
When Herrera arrives on campus, Liberty will be making their debut at the AAC Championships, a title recently claimed by FIU in 2024. Herrera will aim to make an immediate impact not only in individual events but also as a key contributor to the team’s overall success: her current 100 freestyle time would have ranked 6th on Liberty’s roster this past season, while her 200 freestyle time would have been the 2nd. Further, she would rank 1st in the 500 free, 3rd in the 200 IM, and 3rd in the 400 IM.
Herrera’s potential impact is not to be understated—at the 2024 AAC Championships, her 500 free would have qualified for the A final, her 200 free would have taken 2nd overall, and her 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 fly all would have earned her a second swim.
She is set to join Gwyn Frick, Carly Larson, Dakota Howard, diver Rachel Laraio, and fellow Florida native Riley Leach in Lynchburg this coming fall. Leach, another IM specialist, brings bests of 2:00.75 in the 200 IM and 4:15.56 in the 400 IM. Frick, while primarily a sprint stroke/IM swimmer, also contributes depth in distance events with a solid 500 freestyle best of 4:58.88.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
Congratulations