Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Norwin’s Anna Little

By: Anthony Difilippo
Monday, February 27, 2023 | 11:10 AM

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Excelling at one stroke is hard enough, but how about four?

That’s what swimmers who compete in the individual medley have to do, racing in the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.

One of those swimmers is Norwin’s Anna Little, who won the event at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association meet Jan. 28. She also placed second in the 100 breaststroke.

Although Little placed highly, she’s not completely satisfied with her performance.

“I think there is always room to improve, and I am hoping to get my times in those events a little faster at WPIALs,” Little said.

The WPIAL championships are March 2-3.

In her senior year, Little is not going to leave any effort behind.

“My main goal for that meet is to get as close as possible to my personal bests in my events or even break them if possible,” she said. “As long as I give my all at WPIALs, I will be happy.”

If Little were to break a record, it would not be her first.

She broke the school record for the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 7.41 seconds as a sophomore in 2021.

She does have one advantage right in her own home: Little’s dad put in an “endless” pool during the covid shutdown to allow her to continue to practice.

This pool has a motor that pushes water toward her and allows her to gain endurance by swimming against the current.

“I usually don’t use it that much anymore because I get enough practice time between my club team and varsity practices,” Little said. “However, I believe it gave me an advantage during the covid pandemic when we could not have team practices.”

This wasn’t the only time Little had to adjust to a different pool. Last year, the Knights had to swim at East Allegheny because of renovations at Norwin’s pool.

Little is going to attend college to study marine biology or English literature, and whether she swims depends on where she goes.

Shortly before the end of the season, Little took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with swimming?

My parents wanted me to learn how to swim when I was young because we have a lake house and frequently go boating in the summer. I think I was 5 or 6, and my mom enrolled me in swim lessons at Penn-Trafford. Not too long after that, my parents encouraged me to join the swim team, and I ended up really enjoying it. And here I am today, still swimming.

How did you get into the individual medley, and do you have to practice one stroke more than the others?

My first club coach would always encourage me to swim it, and I ended up enjoying that event because of the variety of strokes. I would not say I am strong in all of my strokes, and I have to work on my backstroke the most because it is my weakest stroke. But, honestly, I usually practice breaststroke the most because it is the strongest part of the IM and my favorite stroke.

Do you win the IM by getting an advantage with your breaststroke?

I think being a breaststroke swimmer definitely helps in the IM because in a 200, the third 50, which in the IM is the breaststroke leg, is actually a critical part of the race. It determines who gets a lead on the final lap. Usually in most of my races, breaststroke just allows me to catch up to everyone else because I am typically a good distance behind due to my weakness in backstroke.

What do you think of Norwin’s new pool?

Last year was certainly a challenge swimming at East Allegheny, but I really like our new pool and scoreboard. The new scoreboard is digital and has some cool graphics. I also like the newer blocks a lot. It was worth the wait, and the school was now able to organize a feeder middle school swim team, which, hopefully, will support the varsity team with upcoming swimmers in the future.

How was the whole experience breaking the school record?

Breaking the 100 breaststroke record was super exciting, and I never expected that to happen. I was shocked and very happy at the same time.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I love music, and I am a part of the Norwin Show Choir and Bel Canto Choir. I also play piano and French horn.

Tags: Norwin