Photography by Steve Buchanan
For her age, Easton High School senior Molly Kroeger is unusually focused and articulate about her future. Kroeger understands what she wants to do for a career and has known that for a long time. She plans to major in biomedical engineering and talks about it with enthusiasm.
“I have always wanted to do something in engineering since I was a little kid,” Kroeger says. “As I got older, I found a career that includes both medical and engineering. I could do prosthetics. I just know I want to be in the medical field. I can also do stem cells, cancer research, or work with any medical devices that help or improve patients.”
If Kroeger’s success at swimming and academics is any indication, she’ll succeed in her chosen field. The 17-year-old Kroeger has two swimming state championships and carries a 4.19 weighted grade-point average.
“She is a coach’s dream,” Easton Head Swimming Coach Mary Gibson says. “If you tell her what times you want her to swim, she will be doing them even if she is huffing and puffing. She has so much talent and is so motivated.”
Kroeger’s tremendous work ethic and excellence in the classroom have made her a coveted athlete among college coaches. The year-round swimmer has been aggressively recruited by Division II West Chester University and Florida Tech, and two Division I schools, SUNY Binghamton and the University of Illinois Chicago. She visited three of those schools in September, with plans to sign a National Letter of Intent by November.
“I am looking for a school that will give me both a good athletics and academic experience,” Kroeger explains. “When I went to the University of Illinois Chicago, I had a blast there. I love the campus and the team. That was a surprise, and it jumped to the top of my list. But all these schools check the boxes.”
Kroeger’s junior year was memorable. She qualified for the YMCA Nationals in March in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the first time, and won Bayside Conference and regional championships in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle. Kroeger also swam on two regional and Bayside Conference freestyle relay championship teams.
But nothing compares to capturing the Class 3A/2A/1A individual state titles in 200 (1:53.76) and 500 (5:05.21) freestyle while swimming a leg on the third-place freestyle relay (3:37.96) team in late-February at College Park. Kroeger, who also swims the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke for Easton, set school-record times in all three events.
“I never had that type of feeling before,” Kroeger says of the meet. “I was really proud of myself that I was able to accomplish all my goals. My dad (Easton assistant swimming coach) was able to give me my medal so that was great and super fun.”
The 5-foot-9 Kroeger gets even more motivated in the pool when her father Tim is encouraging her from the sidelines. “The titles, I think, raised her profile with the colleges,” he says. “They go off the times. Going for the state titles motivated her to swim her fastest times.”
With another year of experience, Kroeger expects to perform well at the YMCA nationals in Greensboro again. She’d like to forget about last year’s results. “I did okay,” says Kroeger, who represents the Talbot County YMCA. “It was my first national meet, and I was a little nervous. I already qualified for this year’s, and I am really looking forward to going back. Making the finals would be amazing.”
Talbot Swimming Coach George Higley adds, “She is very focused. She sets high goals and really pursues them. That’s probably why she is being sought by colleges.”
Gibson recalls the impact Kroeger had as a freshman. She finished second in the state in the 200 and 500 freestyle as well as winning regional championships. Gibson hopes Kroeger finishes her career with a flourish and more championships.
“She loves and thrives with distance events,” Gibson says. “Most kids don’t like to do distance events like the 200 and 500 free. She also does weightlifting on her own, which a lot of the others kids don’t do. She knows it will make her better.
“She is a very good leader,” the coach adds. “She motivates the other kids to work hard.”
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