Three local swimmers have returned home from the nation’s most competitive amateur meet.
Throughout the Franklin Amateur Swim Team season, Claire Ballard, Zoi Walker and Lana Walker have kept a close eye on their times, hoping to qualify for the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics. Recently, the three FAST Fins traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for a weekend of races against the country’s best competition.
“I really appreciate having more competition, and it’s a good experience meeting other teams,” said Ballard, who also competed at JOs in 2019 and 2022. “You get to talk to their athletes about their practice schedules and you can really see what training they put in compared to what we put in, and I think that’s really neat. ... I’m pretty sure the first through fourteenth [fastest-seeded swimmers] in the 50 free were just under a second apart – they were all super, super close in time. Just being able to compete against such tight competition is really awesome.”
Between FAST and the MMS/FHS teams, the chance to race true top-level competition is rare for local swimmers, putting those athletes at a disdvantage in bigger meets like regionals and state. In addition to preparing for their fastest oppponents around the state, Ballard’s FHS teammate said it’s an honor to qualify for JOs at all.
“Well, we made it – that’s one thing, and that’s super-awesome,” said Zoi Walker, also a three-time competitor at the event. “It’s a super-great achievement, and we also have some great-grandparents up there, so we went up there to see what it was like, too.”
When sisters Zoi and Lana both qualified for JOs this season, the decision to travel to Des Moines was a no-brainer for the Walkers. But while Zoi is now a seasoned JO veteran, the meet held a greater significance for her younger sister.
“I was really excited,” said Lana, a first-time participant who competed in the 50-meter butterfly, 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle in the 11-12 age group. “It was really nerve-wracking because none of my friends were able to go, but it was fun. ... I wanted to make it, mostly just to trade swim caps with other people.”
In her first year competing at JOs, Lana made the most of her opportunity, trading caps with an athlete from New York in a time-honored swimming tradition. In addition to caps, the FAST Fins returned home with some extremely impressive hardware.
“I finished fourth in the 50 free and third in the 100 breastroke,” said Ballard. “I was expecting to be pretty high up there in the 50 free, but the 100 breast was pretty shocking. ... I was over the moon about it – it was just such a unique moment. I’m nearsighted, so I can’t see the scoreboard from inside the pool. By the time I got out of the pool they were like, ‘Claire, you got third,’ and I was like, ‘What?!’ It was a really neat moment, and just realizing what I’d accomplished was very rewarding for me.”
With top-12 finishes in the 50 free, 100 breaststroke, 100 free and 200 breaststroke, Ballard proved that she can no doubt match up with any opponent she’s likely to race this FHS season. For her and Zoi Walker, their experience at JOs will come in handy against the 3A Division’s best this winter.
“It was awesome to be able to swim in such a nice facility,” said Walker, who placed 26th in the 50 free and 38th in the 100 free. “It’s always cool to see all that competition, just because that kind of competition isn’t here. To see people excelling so much is really cool.”