PHOTO BY RAY HORNER

Having already qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Firestone sophomore swimmer Katie Miller is a state championship contender.

Firestone sophomore swimming sensation Katie Miller is SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week for Jan. 9-15.

At the 2011 Northeast Classic at C.T. Branin Natatorium, Miller was a triple winner and broke three meet records in the process.

“Everything just clicked for me in Canton. It was a fast meet, and I was happy for the way it turned out,” she said.

Having already qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, she the won the 200-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly, and swam a leg on the Falcons' championship 200 medley relay.

"She is going to be the best female athlete to ever come through Firestone," Falcons' swim coach Cindy Virdo said.   

Miller took to the water when she was 5 and became serious about competitive swimming at age 10 when her family moved from Strongsville to Akron

“When I received my first lesson I loved it," she said.  "I just have a connection with the pool."

To make it to the top of the ladder in competitive high school swimming you usually must practice twice a day.  At Firestone, Virdo's teams are swimming on weekday mornings and afternoons and again on Saturdays.

“I’m not wild about all the practice time but it does pay off for sure,” said Miller, who swims year around and sees clear to take three weeks off. “Right now I feel the coaches have us ready for the stretch drive of the season, eating right and looking for the right times."

An honor roll student, she also is interested in photography.

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Katie Miller

Sophomore

Firestone High School

Swimming

TV:  “Bones”

Movie:  “Christmas Vacation”

Pizza:  Cheese

Home cooking:  Streak and stir fry

IPod:  “Cinderella Man"

Class:  Math

Bucket List:  swim the English Channel