Florida Poly swimmer makes second straight nationals look

Reid Johnson, a senior and mechanical engineering main at Florida Polytechnic University, not too long ago competed on the College Club Swimming Nationals for the second yr in a row. He raced within the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly throughout the competitors held April 10-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Johnson will graduate on May 9 with a bachelor’s diploma in mechanical engineering with an aerospace focus. He plans to proceed his training by Florida Poly’s 4+1 program, pursuing a grasp’s diploma in engineering administration. He has additionally secured a full-time engineering place at Duke Energy, the place he interned in the summertime of 2025.

“It feels really good because I’ve put in a lot of hard work to be where I am right now, both in terms of athletics and in school,” he stated. “This kind of success on both sides of the equation has been a huge blessing.”

Johnson stated returning to nationals was the right strategy to wrap up his undergraduate years at Florida Poly after a season that included a brand new coach, a brand new coaching strategy and a stronger end than final yr.

A local of Moscow, Idaho, Johnson stated a aggressive school swimming profession felt pure after rising up spending a lot of his time within the pool. His dad swam for the University of Idaho whereas in school and his brothers swam for the University of Wyoming and Trinity Western University in Canada.

Florida Poly stood out to Johnson for its all-STEM curriculum and close-knit surroundings. While he thought his aggressive swimming days had been behind him, that shortly modified.

“I missed it too much, so I decided to join the club swim team they already had here,” he stated.

The resolution gave him each a powerful tutorial path and an opportunity to return to the pool.

“I think having great academics is really, really nice, and definitely something a lot of employers look for, but having athletics on top of academics is a huge bonus,” Johnson stated. “With athletics, companies are able to see that you’re willing to get uncomfortable, put in hard work, and get something done while you keep growing.”

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