It was more of a question of how good a swimmer she would
become.
By Scott Kaniewski
It was never a question of whether Kirsten Milberg would be a
swimmer.
It was more of a question of how good a swimmer she would
become.
Milberg, a junior at Rock Canyon High School, won her third
consecutive state championship in the Class 4A 100 backstroke Feb.
16 at Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins. Milberg has won the
100 backstroke every year she’s been in high school.
After last week’s state finals, she became part of state history
as the Jaguars 200 medley relay team set a 4A state record,
finishing in 1:48.30.
The medley relay victory was the first state relay championship
for the Jaguars, who also went on to claim the 400 freestyle relay
title.
Throw in her 200 freestyle championship from a year ago and
Milberg is a six-time state champion.
Despite her success, Milberg doesn’t feel much
pressure
“I’m kind of used to it,” she said after the preliminaries Feb.
15.
Milberg isn’t the only successful swimmer in the family. Her
mother, Ruthie, is the Rock Canyon coach and a former state
champion herself.
But Ruthie would rather talk about Kirsten’s success than extol
her own stories of glory.
“It’s awesome because she’s a great girl and works hard,” Ruthie
said. “We have a good relationship.”
For the second year in a row, the Jaguars took second place
behind Ralston Valley.
Milberg also took third place in the 200 freestyle. She won the
200 free in 2007.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Ruthie said. “She is very dedicated
and puts a lot of hours in the pool. She manages her time
well.”
In August of last year, Kirsten Milberg qualified for junior
nationals in the 200 backstroke. Ruthie Milberg has seen her
daughter’s success continue to grow.
“Really when she was a freshman that was her standout year,”
Ruthie Milberg said. “She had an amazing freshman year. Her times
that year already could compete in college. Last year was not as
great, but she’s back to swimming close to post times. Making the
junior national cut is something colleges look at.”
Ruthie Milberg made sure her daughter was going to get used to
the water quickly. Ruthie had Kirsten in the water when she was
still a baby. By the time she was 6 or 7 years old, Kirsten was
swimming with a club team.
She’s already thinking about colleges, and scholarship offers
are a real possibility. Milberg thought she might be a decent
swimmer before she became a teenager.
“When I was 12 I broke the state record for the 200 backstroke
[in her age bracket],” Milberg said.
While she knew she could compete at the high-school level, the
success she’s had has surprised her.
“I never thought, going into high school, I’d do this well,” she
said.
Her mother said Kirsten’s love of competition adds to her
success.
“I think she’s just driven,” Ruthie Milberg said. “It’s an
individual thing. It gives her an opportunity to work harder and
get the benefits from hard work.”
And she still has one more year to show those benefits and
defend that backstroke title one last time.