Windermere High's Rylee Erisman narrowly misses spot on USA Swimming Olympic team

Three Windermere High and Windermere Lakers Aquatics swimmers — recent graduates Addison Reese and Ryan Erisman, and rising sophomore Rylee Erisman — competed in USA Swimming’s Olympic trials in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Rylee Erisman, who became the fastest 15-year-old American female ever in the 100-meter freestyle in May, was just .18 seconds away from earning a spot on the Olympic team heading to Paris this summer. 

She finished 10th in the Women’s 100 freestyle finals with a time of 54.27, which earned her the second alternate spot on the team. Not only did her time in the finals top her previous record-breaking time of 54.34 from May — besting the previous record time of 54.38 set by Gretchen Walsh — but in the prelims, Rylee clocked an even faster time and new personal best of 54.22 in the 100 free. 

The 15-year-old had another shot to make the Olympic team in the 50-meter freestyle, after qualifying for the finals on Sunday, June 23. With the top three getting the nod to go to Paris, Rylee finished in fifth with a time of 24.62; just .36 seconds behind third. 

Rylee also competed in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke, but did not qualify for the finals. 

Reese, a Florida signee, competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly, finishing 61st in the 100 and 39th in the 200, while Ryan Erisman, a Cal-Berkeley commit, competed in four events: The 200 butterfly, 200-meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle and the 400-meter individual medley; which was his best finish at trials — 31st.