Champion Swimmer Angela Liu Is The Montgomery News January 2026 Athlete of the Month

By Sam Bernardi | Posted January 15, 2026

Angela Liu is more than a champion swimmer, she is also a semifinalist in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program — one of 16,000 exceptionally academically talented high school seniors in the U.S.

Liu has always been willing to bet on herself.

Angela Liu is a sprinter and continues to rack up victories.

The four-year Montgomery varsity swimmer and Princeton Tigers Aquatics Club (PTAC) standout made a friendly wager with her club coach last season. If Liu swam the 100-yard freestyle in under 55 seconds, she would be rewarded with a boba.

“I did it,” Liu said. “So, coach did buy me a boba.”

The boba bubble tea wagers have spread to her teammates. There are no punishments involved, just rewards.

In addition to Liu’s incentive- based tactics, “she is always willing to help out,” Coach Claire Scarpa said.

Liu is a sprinter and continues to rack up victories for her increasingly crowded trophy room. This campaign already features 200 freestyle, 200 medley relay, and 400 freestyle wins for the Cougars, all of which she anchored.

“When I sprint, I just go all out,” Liu said. “I don’t get caught up in the mindset of what happens if I mess up. I just sprint, and I trust that all the practice I put in will make my dives perfect enough for me to do well in the 50 and the 100.”

Scarpa knows Liu can thrive in most races and has relied on her to fill gaps at times.

Liu will likely remain a sprinter for Montgomery, but she has sought the advice of long-distance swimmers on turns and dives, knowing there is always room for improvement.

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Along with a friend, Liu reignited PTAC’s newsletter, The Tiger Times, after a six-year hiatus. These monthly editions provide community updates, birthdays, photos, and recaps from team gatherings. Liu also writes advice columns.

“She’s just a fun person, and she’s doing a really good job leading the team this year,” Coach Scarpa said.

Liu will be a great loss to Scarpa’s program upon her graduation, but the finish line is still laps away.

As far a college goes, Liu has not committed to a school yet. National Merit Scholars have many options — including acceptance letters from the best universities worldwide.