Two Frisco Aquatics Swimmers Named Top Ten in Nation

TWO FRISCO AQUATICS SWIMMERS RANKED TOP 10 IN NATION FOR 2009

By Lynn Bergman

Swimmers Destiny Nelson and Ramiro Olivares named in USA Swimming’s Top 10 Ranking of National Age Group Recognition Program

December is officially here with the holiday festivities seeming to consume the month at an unstoppable pace, yet we always manage to somehow find time to reflect on the past year as the New Year approaches.  At every turn, you can read headlines or hear the television newscaster telling you who and what were the “Best and Worst” of 2009.  Ryan Seacrest will tell us the best Pop songs of 2009.  You can find the best movies, the best websites, best company, best books, best career, best toys, best new chefs, and the best of endless categories.  Surely you could vote locally for the area’s best restaurant, hair salon or pizza delivery.  As for the best athletes of 2009, some lists will decide the best athletes of 2009 are the best-hyped athletes or the highest paid athletes.  For all the best of the bests, did you know there are Nationally Ranked Best Athletes of 2009 in Frisco?

Frisco’s National Best Athletes are not on a football field as one from Texas might assume.  Two Frisco Aquatics Swimmers, Destiny Nelson, 12, of Prosper and Ramiro Olivares, 12, of Frisco were recently named in USA’s 2009 Top 10 Ranking in it’s National Age Group Recognition program.  They can usually be found in the pool, 6 days a week, learning from their accomplished coach, Dan McDonough, the Head Coach for Frisco Aquatics.  USA Swimming is a 300,000+ member service organization that is the National Governing Body for the sport of Swimming in the United States, comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches.  USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games.

The National Age Group Recognition Program is an awards program for the top level of age group swimmers.  All times are accepted as “official times” by USA Swimming, from sanctioned, approved, or observed competition.  The program awards consist of certificates which are awarded to the fastest 10 swimmers of each gender in each recognized event in each single age group, ages 11-17.  The awards are made for both short course and long course meter events.  In addition, the fastest swimmer in each event receives a pin of recognition.  The time frame for each year’s recognition is September 1st through August 31^st, lists are compiled and checked in the fall and the final list prepared and announced prior to the end of the year. 

One could say, Top 10 Award winner, Destiny Nelson was born to swim, starting at 9 months old with an infant survival lessons course.  She began her training with Frisco Aquatics at the age of 6, earned her first national ranking in the 50 yard breaststroke at 8 years old and was ranked number one in the nation with a time of 45.57.  She qualified for her first Texas Age Group Championship (TAGS) at 8 years old for the 50 and 100 yard Breaststroke.  In the 2008 Junior Olympics in Detroit Michigan, Destiny, at 11 years old, placed 1^st in 5 out of 7 events, outdistancing her competitors by more than seven seconds in the 100-Meter Breaststroke, her signature event.  Her time in the 100 Breast, 1:23.83, ranked her number 2 in the United States. 

Nelson’s recent Top 10 2009 USA Swimming National Ranking is for 8 different events as an 11 year old.  She is 1^st in the Nation for 200 Meter Breaststroke at 2:46.81; 2^nd for 100 Meter Breaststroke at 1:20.36; 2^nd for 400 Meter Individual Medley at 5:20.76; 4^th for 200 Individual Medley at 2:33.84; 5^th for 200 Yard Breaststroke at 2:29.13; 8^th for 50 Meter Breaststroke at 37.06; 9^th for 1500 Freestyle at 5:20.76; 10^th in the Nation for 100 Yard Breaststroke at 1:10.56 and 20^th for 200 Backstroke at 2:38.17.  Having a recent birthday, in her first swim meet in the 12 year old age group she already earned a 6^th place national ranking in the 200 Meter Breaststroke with a time of 2:46.95 and 18^th in the Nation, for 200 Backstroke at 2:30.78.

Ramiro Olivares, started swimming at age 7 and is described by his friends as “kind and hardworking”.  Ranked seventh in the Nation for 2009 for 200 Backstroke with a time of 2:32.75, Olivares, says his biggest accomplishment so far “has been winning 4 State Championships at TAGS”, but the hardest was doing his part to make that happen training six days a week, 11 months of the year.  Like many other Olympic hopefuls, Michael Phelps is Olivares’ swimming inspiration, adding he tries to “imagine and believe like Michael (Phelps) giving 100 percent on every swim whether during practice or a meet”.

USA Swimming’s National bests are not judged by an opinionated panel like the top chef or best dressed of 2009. These rankings are based on performance, which makes this announcement undisputable and very praiseworthy, especially when they are the top 10 out of almost 30,000 swimmers in their age group nationwide.  In perspective, Michael Phelps was ranked nationally with USA Swimming, by the age of 10 and qualified for the Olympic team in 2000 at the young age of 15. 

No one can predict if the Olympic Games are in the future for Nelson and Olivares, both now only 12, even though Nelson is currently on the 2010 National Top 10 Ranking list for USA Swimming since the ranking times began in September at the start of the short course season.  Olivares is currently ranked 18^th in 200 Backstroke and hopes to climb up the list to the top 10 during this swim season, keeping his resume consistent to include in the 2010 National Age Group Recognition Program Award.  Regardless of any awards received or yet to be earned, swimming for them means “trying to improve personal best times, keep learning and having fun”, said Nelson “I will enjoy the sport for where it takes me”, while the rest of us can root them on. 

Head Coach McDonough said, “Destiny Nelson and Ramiro Olivares are both young swimmers with some natural ability, those qualities combined with their work ethic has produced a couple of excellent swimmers.”  He shared “I personally feel if they continue to focus on improving their technique they have the potential to develop into the finest swimmers to come from North Texas.”

Photos Credits:  Michelle Kehn