Anne Deedy, a 2022 Shawnee Mission East graduate, began her swimming career when she was just 3-years-old.

She’s swam competitively since she was 6, and now she’s qualified for All-American time in the 100 breaststroke — and All-American time consideration for the 200 individual medley.

What’s All-American mean? It’s a list of the top 100 high school students in the nation who meet certain criteria.

• For swimming, Deedy said, this means the top 100 high school students with the fastest times for specific races — including 100 breaststroke and 200 IM — are considered “All-America.”
• It’s more than just an honor Deedy said, because she could potentially apply for scholarships related to her All-American time achievements.

How she earned it: Deedy competed at the 2022 Kansas state swimming meet this spring, where she placed first in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.

• Deedy helped SM East place second in two different relay races, as well, resulting in her being named the Athlete of the Week at the state competition.
• The state meet is where she also automatically qualified for All-American time for the 100 breaststroke by finishing in one minute, three seconds.
• She completed the 200 individual medley — a race that combines four different strokes — in two minutes, three seconds.

Family tradition: Deedy’s parents both swam competitively at the collegiate level, as well as her sister, she said. And now Deedy and her brother are both committed to swimming on the collegiate level, too.

• The recent SM East graduate is headed to Georgia Tech to swim in college

Key quote: “I just love swimming,” Deedy said. “It’s so much fun, I love the people that are in it and I love just being able to work really, really hard every day.”