La Salle Academy grad Kaitlin Reilly ’08 is a true rarity in the world of competitive swimming – a remarkably successful swimmer who didn’t begin to compete until she was a sophomore in high school.  Now she is holds freestyle sprint records at both La Salle and Springfield College where she as recently honored as “Rookie of the Year” swimmer in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

In a story last year about her very unusual achievement in high school, Providence Journal sports writer John Gillooly wrote “Lost in the excitement of the record-setting performances delivered by North Kingstown’s Elizabeth Beisel and Prout’s Laura Sogar at Saturday’s Interscholastic League Girls Swimming Championships was an amazing accomplishment by La Salle senior Kaitlin Reilly.  It’s no secret that today’s high school swimming is dominated by teenagers who spent a large portion of their younger years in youth swimming programs, especially the high-powered U.S. Swimming programs.  That’s where Beisel and Sogar have developed their talents.  That’s why Reilly becoming the girls’ state 50-yard freestyle champion is such an amazing story. 

The article continued, ‘She’s only a third year swimmer,” La Salle coach Jeff Lenihan said of Reilly . . . She didn’t start swimming seriously until she joined our team three years ago.’”

In addition to her swimming accomplishments (and as important, at least in eyes of her father Kevin Reilly ’76) she made the Dean’s List in the first semester at Springfield College while majoring in Occupational Therapy.

Along with holding several La Salle swimming records, Kaitlin set an individual Springfield College record in the 100 freestyle and swam on two record-breaking relays