By Blake Chadwick

Growing up in the water, Winfield’s Emma Moore has been swimming since she was about six years old, starting with the Winfield Swim Club.

“I started noticing my talent at about nine years old when I started qualifying for my first championship meets,” Moore said.

The senior is primarily a 100 and 200 freestyle swimmer with PR times of 53.91 and 1:57.99, respectively.

Winfield head coach Dustin Durbin has seen a lot of good swimmers and knows Moore is another one who will be a Viking great in the water.

“Emma is very dedicated to swimming,” Durbin said. “She invests a lot of time into training throughout the year. She works hard at practice, and she’s fiercely competitive in the water. She cares a lot about being her best.”

Despite some setbacks early in her career, the senior has now hit her stride and then some. She received a lot of college interest and ultimately committed to Northern State University, a Division II school in North Dakota.

“I have worked really hard the last few years with my mindset about the sport,” Moore said. “I struggled with burnout my junior year and being able to think positively about my future with the sport in college really helps me stay motivated. I chose my college because they have a really good program, and I connected really well with the team during my visit. I felt very welcome at the college in general.”