Katie Swank knew she had swimming potential at age 13. It was at that age the Free State High senior qualified for the Junior Nationals championship swim meet.

“I went out there and qualified in my 200 IM (individual medley), which was not expected at all,” Swank said. “It was a complete surprise. It was a goal for a while.”

Fast forward to 2006. Swank set another goal, which was to swim in college. Her friends and family gathered at the Free State library Tuesday to celebrate Swank’s achievement: She will swim at Miami (Ohio) University next year. Her official signing day was today.

“There was a great atmosphere, and I also loved the campus,” Swank said of the Oxford, Ohio, school. “It’s gorgeous up there. The academics are great as well, so it was the overall package.”

Swank said she made her decision at the beginning of October after visiting the campus. She also considered Kansas University, Arkansas, San Diego and Denver.

A crowd of about 50 came to the library. Perhaps one of Swank’s biggest supporters was her mentor, Lawrence Aquahawks swimming coach Mike Soderling. He has coached Swank for eight years.

“Katie and I have a father-daughter relationship just because we’ve known each other for so long,” Soderling said. “I’m extremely proud.”

Swank holds three Free State records: the 100-yard breaststroke, the 200 freestyle and the 400 freestyle. She also holds the Aquahawks record in the 50-yard freestyle.

One of the primary reasons for Swank’s success stems from her dedication to the sport. She said she practiced six days per week for 21â2 hours per day. That didn’t include what Swank referred to as “doubles,” when she swam an hour before school and then 21â2 more afterward.

“She loves to succeed and hates to lose,” Soderling said. “She puts a lot of pressure on herself to do well. Sometimes, I have to tell her to loosen up, smile and have fun. I see her at the pool every day. She’s committed, 100 percent.”

Swank swam her freshman year at Free State, but has trained with the Aquahawks’ year-round program for the past two years. However, next semester Swank will return to the Firebirds for her senior campaign.

“It’s a tough balance between club and high school because of the seasons and where it falls during our club season, but it’s definitely something I want to do this year,” Swank said of participating for Free State again.

At Miami, Swank likely will compete in middle-distance events.

“She has speed, but she also has endurance,” Soderling said. “She’ll probably do events like the 200-500 freestyle, or be able to go longer like the 1,650 freestyle, which is the mile. She has a lot of range.”

So why didn’t Swank stay around the area to swim?

“I did consider KU just because it had a great swimming program, it’s a great school, and (coach) Clark Campbell’s a great guy,” Swank said. “But I really liked Miami, and I think it’ll be good for me to get away from Lawrence.”