Family is first one more time
Nordmann’s latest generation following in sister’s footsteps with victories at state
Swimming is synonymous with the Nordmann family. Its latest export from The Woodlands is the AllGreater Houston Girls Swimmer of the Year.
Senior Lillie Nordmann set a state record and defended her title in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 43.62 seconds at the UIL State Swimming and Diving Championships. Nordmann’s time would have ranked sixth in the NCAA in mid-February. Nordmann’s time in the 200-yard freestyle last year was 1:45.55.
She added a 52-second 100-yard butterfly at the state meet this season, which was also good for gold. She finished second in the event last year at 52.08 seconds.
Including another double state champion for The Woodlands and this year’s All-Greater Houston Boys Swimmer of the Year in Matthew Tannenberger, head coach Jeremy Wade says the pair’s greatness comes from combining talent with the right work ethic and attitude.
Nordmann will join older sister, Lucie, at Stanford next year. Lucie is also a former All-Greater Houston Girls Swimmer of the Year.
And there are more to come. Mary Nordmann just wrapped up her freshman season at The Woodlands, and Zoe Nordmann will swim at The Woodlands as a freshman next year.
Q: How special is it to finish your high school career breaking a state record?
A: “My freshman year I swam at state in the 200 freestyle and I got third. My sophomore year, my sister Lucie, who was a senior that year, she swam the 200 free and won state that year. I also swam it my junior year and won. So, it’s kind of cool to see the Nordmann history in the 200 free. Just to keep that winning streak alive was kind of cool. Just to represent The Woodlands High School and bring home a gold medal for them was really an honor and really special.”
Q: What is it like swimming with your sisters?
A: “It’s so much fun honestly. All of my sisters swim. We’re really competitive with each other, but it’s just a lot of fun because we all know what each other are going through each day. We all know the struggle of the hard practices and the taxing schedule and balancing it between school and swim. It’s really fun when we get home also. We just kind of put swimming away and at the end of the day, we’re just sisters. We’re just a family. It’s really cool. My dad is also a swim coach so he’s really good about keeping swimming separate at home. When he’s at home, he’s just my dad. He’s not my coach.”
Q: Was it easier to choose Stanford considering Lucie is already there?
A: “Stanford has definitely always been my dream school and the recruiting process was definitely harder than I thought. I think going in, Stanford was my No. 1. But it was hard to choose between Virginia, Georgia and the University of Texas. It really just came down to the academics and athletics Stanford had to offer. I think Stanford just really goes above and beyond. I also fell in love with the swim team. I think it’s also a plus because it’s far away from home and having Lucie there will really be comforting.”
Q: Where would you be competing if not for the coronavirus pandemic?
A: “If the coronavirus pandemic wouldn’t have happened, I’d be gearing up for Olympic trials, which are in June. So, I would’ve had some competitions out of town in California and Indianapolis, but obviously that all got canceled. It’s been a challenge to shift my mindset to 2021.”
Q: How special is it to watch your younger sisters and hope they can achieve what you and Lucie already have?
A: “It’s been real cool to see that transition. I loved being a leader this past year. All of the seniors, we really just led by example. I hope all of the younger kids saw that and can kind of follow our lead. I always talk to my younger sister Zoe like ‘Are you excited for high school swimming next year?’ I hype it up so much because I know she’s going to love it.”
Q: What is your favorite event to swim in?
A: “That’s a hard one. I’d say probably the 200 butterfly. That’s like my event. I love it. I qualified in that event for junior worlds, which was in Budapest this summer. I think that’s probably my best event.”