Jamie Squire

Haley Anderson at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

03/15/10

When Haley Anderson first arrived at USC for her official recruiting visit, she was greeted by a bevy of fevers, runny noses and upset stomachs.

A nasty flu bug had infiltrated the school, and no one, including virtually every member of the Trojans’ women’s swimming team, was immune to the misery.

“The whole campus,” Anderson recalled, “was getting sick.”

And yet…

“Everything about my trip was amazing.”

Amid the Kleenex and throat lozenges, Anderson saw something. She was moved by the way the swimmers banded together and supported each other through the suffering. More than that, though, she sensed USC was on the verge of something special and she wanted to contribute to the growth. 

So far, she’s done just that. A distance specialist, Anderson has enjoyed a prolific freshman season. In doing so, she’s established herself as one of the top young talents in the country. She’s a USC record holder, a newly crowned Pac-10 champion and is currently looking to make a similar mark at this week’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships meet in Lafayette, Ind.

“She’s just a good worker,” Trojans coach Dave Salo said. “She was coming to the program at a perfect time. We’d been through a couple years of transition, and we’re now setting a course for college and international swimming. She’s really helped set the tone.”

No doubt, it’s been a stellar introduction, but one that isn’t entirely surprising. After all, last year, Anderson earned a spot on the U.S. national team bound for the 2009 FINA World Championships by finishing second in the 800-meter freestyle at the trials. She also won both the 800 and 1500 freestyle events at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacs, and prior to that, placed first in the 800 freestyle at the 2008 Speedo Junior Nationals.

The run continued at last month’s Pac-10 Championships meet where Anderson asserted her dominance early and often, particularly in the 1650-yard freestyle. In a field that included standouts such as Cal senior Lauren Boyle and Stanford junior Kelsey Ditto, Anderson led from start to finish, hitting the wall in a career-best 16 minutes, 2.53 seconds.

It was USC's first title win in the event since 2005.

“I wasn’t sure she’d win it,” Salo said. “They were toe-to-toe for the first 600. Then Haley went out on her own and put them behind her. That’s tough.” 

Anderson also teamed up with juniors Presley Bard and Lyndsay DePaul and sophomore Katinka Hosszu to lead the Trojans to a win in the 800 freestyle relay, a race that provided Anderson with a rather stunning surprise.

Swimming the third leg of the relay, she took her position on the blocks, quickly looked around to gauge the competition and saw a familiar face. 

“Oh no,” she thought. “That’s my sister!” 

Indeed, Alyssa Anderson, Haley’s sister and a sophomore at Arizona, was also about to swim the third leg.

In many ways, it was a fitting start to the meet, considering Anderson credits Alyssa for a lot of the success she’s enjoyed at USC. It was Alyssa who gave her the initial glimpse into what life as a student-athlete would be like.

“She was a big help in preparing me on what to expect in college, how to balance school, swimming and friends,” Anderson said. “She’s really helped me my whole life. I see how successful she is, and it makes everything seem possible for me.”

There is a slight chance the sisters’ paths will cross again at the NCAA championships, as both are entered in the 200 and 500 freestyles. Anderson is one of the top qualifiers in the mile swim, and though she admits to being a tad nervous about the magnitude of the meet, she knows her prior experiences will serve her well.

“It definitely puts things in perspective,” she said. “Competing at Worlds taught me how to turn my nerves into excitement and not something that will make me swim badly.”

To make sure she doesn’t grow tried of the long-distance events, Salo has made it a priority to take advantage of Anderson’s versatility and allow her to dabble in other disciplines. During the dual meet season, Anderson swam the 200 breaststroke at Arizona State and the 400 individual medley against UCLA.

It’s no wonder Salo refers to Anderson as “a bona fide athlete.”

“You can throw anything at her, and she always seems to be right on,” Salo said. “That’s exciting. She’s just been really solid for us.”

Check out Haley's sister  Alyssa Anderson in this week's 20 Question Tuesday.