British Swimmer Commits to US College…to Play Football

Reiss Ormonde-Cunningham, a talented swimmer from Britain, has made the decision to pursue NCAA Division I football at the University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff. This remarkable athlete was first introduced by SwimSwam in 2016.

Ormonde-Cunningham, who is now 25 years old, honed his swimming skills at Mount Kelly School in England, which is renowned for its exceptional junior clubs. This institution has also produced numerous NCAA swimmers. Later, he joined the prestigious training group at Loughborough University.

In addition to swimming, Ormonde-Cunningham also showcased his football (soccer) prowess at Mount Kelly. At the age of 18, he gained attention for a video in which he demonstrated his ability to kick rugby balls through narrow angles and from a distance of 40 meters using both feet.

Following these achievements, Ormonde-Cunningham was fortunate to join One on One Kicking in the UK, an esteemed program that specializes in training European athletes in American football positions such as kicker, punter, and long snapper.

During the 2023 camp, Ormonde-Cunningham performed remarkably well, earning the title of top-rated kicker in kickoffs and ranking third in field goals.

University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff, which does not have a swimming program, currently has a 1-7 record this season in football. Their kicker, Dean Sarris, has only converted 2 out of 7 field goal attempts, placing the team at the bottom of their conference. Moreover, the team ranks second-to-last in net kickoff yardage. However, Sarris has been flawless in extra point attempts this season, successfully converting all 14 of them.

UAPB is an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) that competes at the Football Championship Level (formerly known as 1-AA) of the NCAA within the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Turning our attention back to the pool, Ormonde-Cunningham’s most recent appearance was at the 2022 British National Championships, where he finished 66th in the 100 fly (57.13 seconds) and 85th in the 200 IM (2 minutes and 13.20 seconds).