Alex Walsh recently broke two records previously held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin.
Spotting young athletic talent is easier said than done.
But there are indicators to look for that may hint at future success.
Harpeth Hall eighth-grader and Nashville Aquatic Club standout swimmer Alex Walsh set off some indicator lights for Midstate swim fans at the Eastern Junior Nationals in Atlanta the weekend of Dec. 12, when she broke two records previously held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin.
Walsh, who qualified for Olympic trials at the NAC Nike Summer Sizzler in July, became the fastest girl to ever swim the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter backstroke in the 13-14 age group.
Pleasant surprise
Walsh wasn’t aware she had a shot at either of Franklin’s records when the day began.
“I didn’t really know about the record before the meet,” the 14-year-old said. “All I wanted to do was get the best time.”
That didn’t make it any less exciting for Walsh when she found out she was the new record-holder.
“When I touched the wall and saw, I was just super happy and proud of myself,” Walsh said. “It was just a really big accomplishment and all my hard work paid off.”
The accomplishment was even more exciting for the fan inside Walsh.
“It’s kind of a coincidence because Missy Franklin is one of my favorite swimmers,” she said. “That’s really exciting for me.”
Head of the pack
She may be grabbing the headlines, but Walsh isn’t the only swimmer finding success with NAC.
At the same meet, 15-year-old teammate Allie Rabb set a new meet record in the 200 breaststroke.
And she’s not even the only star in her family.
Walsh’s little sister, Gretchen, garnered attention at the Junior Nationals when she had the fastest time in the country in three events in the 12-year-old competitions.
But the older sister may be the highest touted swimmer at the club.
“Right now she’s (Alex) kind of the superstar,” NAC coach John Morse said. “Her times are out there for her age.”
Olympic aspirations
Walsh started swimming around the age of 6, but it wasn’t until a few years later that she turned her full attention to swimming. Until then she participated in just about any sport that took place in the water.
“I used to do diving, and synchronized swimming and water polo,” she said. “When I was like 10 years old I started really excelling at swimming, so it was then that I decided to pursue it as my main sport and really commit to it.”
Now with her focus on swimming, Walsh has set the bar high for herself, and hopes to one day swim for Team USA in the Olympic Games.
And she may have a good chance at doing just that.
“Just from my observation, I would think that she’s going to be an elite-level athlete,” Morse said. “She’s definitely in contention as far as on the national level.”
Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.
Alex Walsh
Age: 14
Family: Parents Robert and Glynis, sister Gretchen (12)
School: Harpeth Hall
Year: Eighth grade
Favorite event: 200 IM
Favorite subject: Science