SSN: Lizzy McRanor Athlete Feature

Taking Leadership

Senior Lizzy McRanor is committed to multiple activities and events

While most students are sound asleep, senior Lizzy McRanor is already driving to the school on a Monday morning while it is pitch black out.

For members of the swim team, mandatory practices are at least three mornings each week. Failure to be in the water at 5:30 will result in an unexcused tardy. Once Monday practice concludes, McRanor switches her focus to Riley Dance Marathon.

Riley Dance Marathon is one of the biggest clubs at the school and each member is expected to attend every meeting. Competing in swim and being a member of a year-round club limits how much time a member has to work on school related assignments.

“I just try to use my time during flex as much as I can so I don’t have as much homework to worry about,” McRanor said. “It helps when I have a calendar filled out to know when I have [swim team] practices and [RDM] meetings.”

Even though RDM takes up a lot of her time, McRanor still manages to see the joy in it.

“[RDM] is something she is really passionate about,” teammate and senior Kayleigh Witt said. “She’s a lot more focused and dedicated when it comes to Riley Dance Marathon.”

McRanor was inspired to join RDM because of former teammates’ involvement in the club. Ever since she has joined, she has learned how to have good time management skills due to her “making a calendar with all the important dates” McRanor said.

This has in turn helped her become “a valuable resource to young teammates who are still learning how to balance the demands of being at a very challenging and competitive school,” assistant swim coach Benjamin Wachtel said.

As far as swim and Riley Dance Marathon goes, McRanor will continue to push her teammates and fellow executive members to be better each day by picking each other up when things are not going well.