Micah Ornelas
Micah Ornelas
QUICK STATS
Birthday: November 19, 1996
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Height: 6’1”
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa & Bryant University (MBA)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
-
2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier
-
8 x Hawaiian Record Holder
-
3 x MAAC Conference Record Holder in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, and 200 IM
-
Earned Most Outstanding Swimmer at the MAAC Conference Championships
-
Voted Athlete of the Year award at Bryant University
-
Voted MPSF Swimmer of the Month at University of Hawaii at Manoa
EXPERIENCE
Micah Ornelas is one of our most diverse swimmers who is well balanced in all 4 strokes. Throughout his collegiate career at University of Hawaii, Micah swam everything from the 50Freestyle on the relays, to the 200 Backstroke, 200IM and 100 and 200 Butterfly!
Being well rounded in many strokes has lots of advantages, especially when considering understanding of technique. Micah’s great arm pull and high catch has helped him translate his strength across many different races!
“For the majority of my swimming career, I had always been skinny compared to other swimmers. Since I did not have the size and strength as my competitors, I put extra focus on mastering the details and proper techniques to maximize my swimming capabilities. Developing my mind-muscle connection through drills that build up the “feel for the water” is what allowed me to excel in the sport. ” Said Micah.
He loves helping other swimmers improve their stroke and being able to instantly identify what areas need improvement. Not only does he find satisfaction in breaking his own bad habits in the pool, but is still equally as satisfied when he is able to help others to make the same improvements.
“Since my biggest strength in swimming has always been my underwaters, I always encourage swimmers to utilize this tool off of every single wall. When I swim in yards, most of my entire race is done by using underwater dolphin kicks. Some even refer to the dolphin kick as the fifth stroke,” says Micah.
At the end of the day, swimming is a whole lot more than just the times. It is also about the relationships that you build throughout your journey within the sport. Swimming has shaped his entire life, and he wouldn’t be the same character today without it. Request a clinic with Micah to learn from him!
