Riley Anderson had a remarkable fall swimming season, one that came to fruition through hard work, determination and dedication to her sport.

A Bacon Academy junior competing for the Manchester cooperative program, Anderson is always looking to improve.

“She has a really good work ethic,” Manchester coach Molly O’Connor said. “She has a good head on her shoulders and she knows what she needs to do. She’s good at communicating with me how she’s feeling and what she needs.

“She’s very self-aware of her training and what she needs to do to be successful.”

And Anderson has been very successful.

Anderson extended her dominance in the State Open sprint events on Sunday at Yale by winning the 50-yard freestyle (22.67 seconds) for the third time and 100 freestyle for the second time in her high school career. She set the state record in the 100, finishing in 49.66 seconds.

She also captured both events in the Class LL state meet.

Anderson recently committed to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she’ll continue her athletic career on the Division I level.

Although happy about her accomplishments, Anderson is not about to let up now — in the pool or in the classroom. While the high school season is over, she continues to practice with the West Hartford Aquatic Team.

“Now that I’m committed, I definitely understand that I have to continue to get better, especially if I’m going to Duke,” Anderson said. “My grades need to be good, so I’ve been focusing on school. I’ve always focused on school, but now I’m especially focusing more on my grades and making sure they’re good.

“It’s not like I can just do nothing now because I committed to a college. I still have to get better.”

Anderson is part of a successful swimming family.

Her grandfather Ron, a former club and high school swim coach, is in the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame. Her father Sean attended RHAM and swam for Manchester. He still holds the Class S record in the 50 freestyle (20.98), set in 1993, and he competed at Penn State.

Anderson never felt any family pressure to swim. She developed her love for the sport.

“I feel like my parents and my grandpa, they let me choose what sports I wanted to do,” Anderson said. “Obviously, they wanted me to do swimming and I did it and I obviously like it and I’m still doing it today.

“It just naturally happened. It wasn’t like I had to do it because my dad did it. He let me try it out and I really liked it.”

Without a pool at Bacon Academy or swim team there, Anderson joined the Manchester co-op. Her commitment requires some long days traveling from Colchester to practice and meets. She also swims for her club team almost year-round.

Anderson is willing to make sacrifices.

“I know at the end it will be worth it,” Anderson said.

Anderson enjoys the camaraderie with her Manchester teammates. She’s built tight bonds with her fellow swimmers, making the grueling and sometimes monotonous workout routine more enjoyable.

“It’s really fun to have a team that you can be really close with,” Anderson said. “I hang out with my friends outside of swimming. We’ll go to the beach, we’ll have sleepovers. If I didn’t have my friends doing it with me, it would be a lot harder.

“The team I’m currently on, it’s amazing.”

Anderson has learned to deal with the pressure that comes with being a pre-race favorite in the state championship meets like the State Open.

She stays focused on the moment.

“Before the race, I guess I’m not really thinking about my past and other races,” Anderson said. “I’m just focusing on what I’m going to do during the race. I know I won both events last year, but I don’t feel like there was any pressure this year.

“I put pressure on myself because I want to do well.”

Anderson never gave her competitors a chance in the State Open.

It was an impressive performance.

“I’ve seen a lot of great swimmers and she is one of the only swimmers that I’ve ever seen swim the 50 and 100 and look like she has full control over the entire race,” O’Connor said. “The 50 is just a free-for-all that can be anybody’s. But if you watch her swim it, she looks strong and she looks controlled. ... She just looks like she’s not going to allow people to beat her.”

Anderson is looking forward to what’s ahead.

Anderson plans to compete for the Manchester co-op again next fall. She hopes to continue to lower her times. Ultimately, she’d like to qualify for the NCAA Division I championships during his college career at Duke.

Duke emerged as her top choice after also visiting North Carolina, Michigan and UCLA.

“They’re all amazing schools and I love them all,” Anderson said. “But at Duke I absolutely fell in love with the campus. It’s really beautiful. And I love the coaches; they’re so nice. The swim team, when you go on the recruiting trip and stay a couple of nights, they’re all really inclusive and their team culture is very good.

“I also know the academic reputation at Duke is extremely good. That’s also just amazing.”

O’Connor believes Anderson has a bright future — in the pool and in the classroom.

“She’s the full package,” O’Connor said. “She’s a great kid. She’s great in school. She’s a great athlete. She’s easy to coach.”

g.keefe@theday.com