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Back-to-school blues for Romano

Each weekday, ESPN RISE brings you five vital stats from athletes across the country.

Northeast (St. Petersburg, Fla.) senior Megan Romano is one of the nation's top swimmers. A 6-foot-2 freestyle and backstroke specialist, Romano participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer despite suffering from mononucleosis. She went on to help USA Swimming capture gold in the 400 free relay at the FINA Junior Swimming Championships in Mexico. The winner of four individual state titles, Romano is out to set a national high school record this season. She swam by to tell us the five things she doesn't like about going back to school.

1. Waking up early every day
"Waking up early isn't in my best interest, even though I wake up for swim practice some days at 5 a.m., but I guess I've got to do it."

2. Homework
"Just what I want to do after not even picking up a writing utensil for two months …"

3. Boring hour-and-a-half classes
"Especially during teacher lectures, I try not to fall asleep. It never works."

4. Studying for tests
"If I want to pass my classes I unfortunately have to study."

5. Curfew on weekdays
"After not really having a curfew for the summer, my parents like me to be home at a decent time during school."