In 2015, Harry Homans of Cape Elizabeth High School won gold medals in the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley at the Maine Principals’ Association Class B State Championship.
This week, Homans is competing in Wave 2 of the United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. The University of Southern California swimmer qualified for the Trials in the 100-meter butterfly (53.82), the 200-meter butterfly (1:58.18) and the 200-meter backstroke (2:01.07).
Homans on Tuesday failed to advance in the preliminaries of the 200 butterfly, clocking a 1:59.40 that left him in 24th place. That was well off the pace of Zach Hartung, who won the prelims in 1:55.34.
“He is a great competitor,” said Jay Morissette, coach of the Long Reach Swim Club in Bath, who has mentored several swimmers who have competed in the Trials.
Wave 2 includes the fastest Trials qualifiers in each event including elite swimmers such as Olympic backstroke champion Ryan Lochte, 12-time Olympic medalist and world record holder Caeleb Dressel along with Olympic backstroke champion Ryan Murphy. The top two finishers in each event earn berths on the Olympic Team.
“The caliber of swimmer in Wave 2 is such that everyone entered in Wave 2 has a chance to make the finals [the top 8],” Morissette said.
As an age-group swimmer in Maine, Homans swam with the Pen Bay YMCA and for Southern Maine Aquatics before relocating out of state.
“When his family moved to North Attleboro [Massachusetts], he swam for the Bluefish Swim Club under Charles Batchelder, who has coached Olympic caliber swimmers,” Morissette said.
Elizabeth Beisel, an Olympian in 2008 and 2011, trained with Batchelder.
Homans, recognized as a PAC 12 Swimmer of the Week during the 2020-21 season, still has the 200 backstroke and 100 fly later in the week.
The 200-meter backstroke prelims and semifinals will be held Thursday with the finals scheduled for Friday. Qualifiers in the 100-meter butterfly race prelims and semis on Friday with finals set for Saturday.
Homans’ father Fritz, a member of the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame and former Bangor YMCA swimmer, competed in the 1976 Olympic Trials. The Deerfield Academy Prep All-American and college All-American at the University of North Carolina finished 13th in the 100-meter fly at 56.11, ranking him nineteenth in the world.
“He certainly comes from a strong pedigree,” Morissette said of Harry Homans.