Gralow to swim at the University of Wisconsin
SANDPOINT — Sandpoint senior Paulina Gralow, one of the top high school swimmers in Idaho history, let alone Sandpoint, will swim in college at the University of Wisconsin, where she hopes to further her stellar swimming career.
Gralow, who won four state titles in the 100 breaststroke and shattered the state record by more than two seconds as a senior, picked Wisconsin over the University of Washington. Both schools actively recruited her and feature strong swim teams, and Gralow said ultimately the choice came down to Madison, Wisconsin, which she said felt a lot more like Sandpoint.
“When I first started my college search I really like the campus, and the fact they have a strong swim team,” said Gralow, who plans to study broadcast journalism. “College swimming is going to be so much more intense than what I’m used to.”
Another determining factor in her choice was the chance to train with a world class racer in the breaststroke, Gralow’s signature event. The Badgers’ top female swimmer finished third at the NCAA’s last year in the 100 breaststroke, while the Badgers finished 14th as a team.
“It will be really fun to train with someone like her,” said Gralow, who will also train for the 200 breaststroke and 200 freestyle. “I’ve never really been so focused on swimming. I know I’ll be able to improve.”
Right now her immediate goal is to make the U.S. Open cut of 1:12 in the 100 breaststroke and qualify for the national team. She’ll need to shave 1.5 seconds off her personal best to get there, but remains confident she can make it happen.
To help achieve her goal, she recently moved to Farmington, New Mexico, where she has been training diligently with former Sandpoint-area swim coach Trever Grey. In her short time there, she has been voted the team captain of the Four Corners Aquatic Team, and spends an average of four hours a day in the pool.
Still a ways away, the 2012 Olympics are on her radar nonetheless. First she’s hoping to make the NCAA qualifying time, which is actually faster than the Olympic trials cut. Many of the top college swimmers are world-class, and near shoe-ins to the Olympic team.
She plans to return to Sandpoint for her high school graduation and prom in May. A great student, she had enough credits to graduate and needed only to take two online classes while training in New Mexico, at more than 5,300 feet elevation.