For this segment of Where Are They Now, we check in on Naperville Central’s 2016 graduate Scott Piper, presented by Molly Maids of the Aurora Naperville Area.
Where is He Now?
For decades, Naperville has been a hotbed for some of the best swimmers in not only the state, but the entire country. State champions, national champions, even Olympic gold medalists have made their marks in the pools across the city.
One of the more recent standouts made a name for himself at Naperville Central. Now a senior at Michigan State, Scott Piper is rewriting the record books for the Spartans.
Piper was a standout even as a freshman at Naperville Central, qualifying for state all four years he swam for the Redhawks. According to long time Central coach Mike Adams, Piper set the tone for the team in and out of the pool.
As a junior, Piper finished in 4th place in the 200 Individual medley and as the lead leg in the 200 medley relay, while Naperville Central earned the third place state trophy. The following year, the senior captain raised the bar by taking home four state medals. 3rd place in the 200 medley relay, 2nd place in the 400 free style relay, 4th place in the 200 IM and 3rd place in the 100 backstroke while the Redhawks finished as the State Runner Up.
Piper graduated from Naperville Central in 2016 as one of the most decorated swimmers for the historic program, with 11 state medals on his mantle.
While Piper was a key member of the Michigan State swimming and diving team right away, the 2018-2019 season was a breakout year for the junior. A Biosystems Engineering major, Piper spent the summer of 2018 studying abroad in Australia, He then went on to break the Spartans 200 IM varsity record, 1:46.42, at the Big Ten Championships where he finished 23rd.
At the same meet he broke the 200 butterfly varsity record, 1:45.52, where he finished 12th. Scott is also Tenth All-Time in the 400 IM, 3:54.38 for good measure. Piper also Qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 200 IM with a time of 2:03.69 at the 2018 Winter Nationals where he took fourth-place.
Whether it’s swimming in the Olympics or developing systems that convert biological waste products into energy and other valuable products. Scott Piper will assuredly continue to make his hometown proud along the way.
Check out other stories like this one in our Athlete Profiles!
