Aquatic Athlete
Reagan Student Swimmer Breaks Rattler Records,
Places at State
By Amy Morgan
There’s nothing like the camaraderie and acceptance found in being part of a team. The Ronald Reagan High School swim team has made senior Montserrat Spielmann feel at home since she moved to Stone Oak as a freshman. And she’s not just a participant, her performances have helped the girls advance to win district and regionals in 2024 and 2025, and set a new region record for the 400 free relay.
A fierce competitor, Montserrat also has won individual medals, finishing first in the state in the 100 Fly in 2023 and 2024 and breaking the region record this February. She also finished second in the 200 Freestyle race last year. She’s broken 11 school records starting freshman year with the 800 Freestyle relay and earning her first individual record in 100 Fly the next year.
Montserrat is always ready to step in for the good of the team. When a spot opened at breaststroke in the 2025 Medley Relay, she agreed to step into the position, even though it is not her strongest stroke. “I’m ready to try something different this champs season,” Montserrat agreed. She considers her greatest value the way she focuses on being a friend others can count on.
“It’s important to encourage the people around you, even when you are having a bad day,” she said. “The people I train with are my best friends. I want them to do their best.” She also runs the team’s Instagram page, a skill she honed through Reagan’s DECA club.
In addition to swimming for Reagan, Montserrat trains year-round with her club team, Alamo Area Aquatics Association, coached by Olympic gold medalist Doug Gjertsen, a world record holder himself. Top meets include Junior National and Sectionals, which bring together the best swimmers in the country.
Montserrat’s talent, as well as her dual U.S. and Chilean citizenship, have allowed her to compete internationally – in the South American Championship, Odesur, at the age of 15 and at the Pan American Games in Chile in 2023. Her Chilean-born parents were recruited to work for Proctor & Gamble in the U.S. after college. The family speaks Spanish at home, so Montserrat was able to converse freely abroad. “It was so much fun to watch some of the best athletes in North and South America do their thing,” she said. Montserrat plans to swim at another international event this summer so she doesn’t take time away from classwork. A dedicated student in addition to her exceptional athleticism, Montserrat ranks second in Reagan’s class of 2025 with a GPA that tops 109.
Montserrat credits her parents as being her role models because they are not afraid to take risks. She’s also inspired by Stanford swimmer Torrie Huske, whom she noted has great ideas about leadership.
The youngest of three siblings, Montserrat began swimming to keep up with her brother, Diego, (RHS 2021). She’ll continue to swim at the University of Michigan, where she plans to study engineering with a minor in business. She chose the Wolverines over top schools on both coasts in part because of their strong alumni network and school spirit. “When I wore my Michigan shirt, it was impossible to walk anywhere without someone saying, ‘Go Blue!’” She also appreciates the school’s balance of athletics and academics that matches her priorities.
Her favorite class at Reagan was AP Chemistry with “Mrs. Y” Yzaguirre. “She pushed me to do things I never thought I could!” Montserrat explained, adding her teacher even convinced her to take extra-curricular chemistry tests that resulted in some of the school’s highest scores.
Despite a busy schedule, Monteserrat makes time to give back. She rallied the swim team to donate food and toys to the SA Food Bank, is part of National Honor Society and volunteers at non-profit Taking it To the Streets downtown. Her family worships at San Joselito, a local Catholic community.
