In the past three months, Missy Franklin has traveled the world in a quest for precious medals.
The 15-year-old swimmer from Centennial took the national swim scene by surprise in November with a seven gold medals at the USA Swimming Grand Prix opener in Minneapolis. Missy took first in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle events, the 100 and 200 backstroke events and the 200 and 400 individual medley races. With her Colorado Stars teammates, she added a silver in the 400 free relay and bronze medals in the 400 medley and 800 free relays.
Missy’s success didn’t end in Minneapolis, as she won two medals in December at the FINA world championships in Dubai, one a silver in the 100-yard backstroke.
“It was so shocking and unbelievable in every way,” Missy said of her showing in Dubai.
In January’s Austin Grand Prix, she captured five gold medals and one silver for a meet-best 28 points, the same number Olympians Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte earned — combined. The performance in Texas earned her more than gold and satisfaction — a $20,000 purse — but it was a prize she turned down in order to maintain college eligibility.
“That wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but it is worth it,” Missy said. “College swimming is an experience that is too rare to pass up. I can’t wait for college.”
Academics and the opportunity to swim at the collegiate level are high on the priority list for the sophomore, who touts a 3.9 grade-point average at Regis Jesuit High School.
For the boatload of accomplishments, Missy was selected by The Denver Post sports staff as the 2010 Youth Excellence in Sports Athlete of the Year.
“It has been such a rush,” Missy said about her 2010 achievements. “This year has been so incredible.”
Her awards also included winning the “breakout performer of the year” at USA Swimming’s Golden Goggles awards in December, placing in six events at the 2010 national short-course championships and being named the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame’s female prep athlete of the year after smashing state records in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke.
For now, even after being named to the U.S. swim team set to compete this summer in Shanghai, Missy is focused on swimming, school and finding a way to enjoy where she is in life.
“I want to enjoy high school and my club team,” Missy said. “Right now I just want to keep having fun with everything. I will keep working hard and try not to get too far behind in school.”
And, if the ringtone on her cellphone is any indication of Missy’s future, Justin Bieber’s lyric, “We can go nowhere but up from here,” the possibilities are endless.
January
Tropical Storm After three consecutive third-place finishes, the girls under-10 soccer team beat the Chicago Sol 6-2 to claim the Kick It 3v3 world championship in the top gold division in Orlando, Fla.
February
Torin Yater-Wallace The freeskier from Basalt, competing as a 14-year-old, came from behind to win the Free Flow finals as the youngest competitor at the Mountain Dew Tour stop in Mount Snow, Vt.
March
Katie Ryan With an eye on someday overtaking Lindsey Vonn as queen of the mountain, the skier from Aspen won the slalom and the super giant slalom at the J2 National Junior Olympics in Sugarloaf, Maine.
April
Colorado Thunderbirds The fabulous Thunderbirds, a boys Triple-A hockey team, captured Colorado’s first Tier I national championship with a 5-1 blowout of North Jersey in the title game in Woodridge, Ill.
May
Katie Tapia As an eighth-grader, the athlete from Cripple Creek went 4-for-4 in her events — the 100- and 200-meter runs, and high and long jumps — at the Primero League meet to cap an undefeated track season.
June
David Kessler The Littleton cyclist, nicknamed “Dangerous Dave,” finished first among 17-year-olds and fifth overall in the 17-18 age division at the 51st annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic in Fitchburg, Mass.
July
Colorado Rush With every player on the 16-member roster scoring at least one goal, the girls under-15 soccer team outscored opponents 50-2 through 10 games en route to winning the prestigious Gothia Cup in Sweden.
August
Derek DesLauriers Just 18 months after hopping in his first go-kart, the Ute Meadows Elementary School student won the Junior 206 class (ages 5-7) national championship at the Kid Kart Nationals in St. Louis.
September
Greg Daniel Despite being legally blind in one eye, the cyclist from Cherry Creek High School pedaled his way to a 12th-place finish overall and sixth in the road race at the Steamboat Springs Stage Race.
October
Colorado triathletes Courtney Diemar, Avery Turney, Fiona Dretzka and Eli Hemming won national triathlon titles in their respective age divisions at the IronKids championships in St. Petersburg, Fla.
November
Missy Franklin The Regis Jesuit High School sophomore left everyone in her wake at the USA Swimming Grand Prix in Minneapolis, taking home seven gold medals, one silver and two bronze.
December
Ryan Jones The seventh-grader captured the heavy mod championship, giving him seven national titles overall, and finished second in the heavy world formula class at the Silver State WinterNationals in Las Vegas.
Know a top athlete? Youth Excellence in Sports honors those 17 or younger who have excelled in any athletic endeavor unaffiliated with the Colorado High School Activities Association. To submit your choice for the top individual or team achievement that occurred during February, visit for an online form or fax a brief description of the achievement to 303-866-9004 (Attention: “Youth Excellence”). Pictures of the monthly winners go on display at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame at Invesco Field at Mile High.
