The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Willoughby eighth-grader No. 1 in nation
Tori Culotta is fastest in her age group in 1,650
Tori Culotta can’t remember when she first began swimming.
“I was 7 or 8,” she said. “What I do remember was that I wasn’t very good.”
That isn’t the case these days. That’s because Tori is a rising star in the pool — if she isn’t there already.
The 14-year-old Willoughby resident recently put herself on the map with a time in the 1,650 women’s free at a national meet in Knoxville, Tenn., that ranks No. 1 in the nation in her age group.
At the Dec. 6-9 Speedo Winter Junior Championships East, Tori posted a time of 16 minutes, 39.47 seconds in the 66lap race. It placed her 12th overall, but most important it elevated her to No. 1 nationally in the event among 14-year-olds.
“It’s nice to know your hard work pays off. It was a cool feeling,” said Tori about her No. 1 ranking. “I was pretty surprised. There were so many people at that meet. It’s definitely exciting.”
She’s been a distance swimmer since joining the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins club team when she was 9.
Her rise as an elite swimmer has been the result of a lot of hard work. According to her coach Rick Stacy, who’s in charge of the distance team and grade-school members, Tori swims nine to 10 times a week.
That includes three times in the morning before heading to classes as an eighth-grader at Andrews Osborne, then six to seven times in the evening. In all, Tori’s coach said she logs up to 70,000 laps each week. It’s done with a purpose, he said.
“In distance, you can’t pick and choose the days you’ll come in and swim,” said Stacy. “You can make yourself into a great distance swimmer, and that’s what she seems willing to do.”
Tori admits she would have preferred to do short races early on, but concedes she’s “just not a sprinter.”
That was OK with her. It’s obvious Tori has found her event as a swimmer.
“The key for me is I can hold that pace for a long time,” she said.
Dedication to a strict practice schedule is also important. Tori and her family took a vacation in December, and she still managed to swim every day, but it wasn’t the same as with the Silver Dolphins.
“Just from that week off, I was a bit off with my times, so you have to keep up with it in practice,” said Tori.
Since he began working with Tori at age 9, Stacy said her stroke has developed and it’s now more efficient — as are her practice habits.
“Distance swimming is a combination of ability but
also attitude,” said Stacy. “She’s committed, disciplined and coachable. She responds to the coaching, and she can handle the discomfort of training. She’s competitive. She races people, not the clock.”
That clock, however, has produced Tori’s time that ranks No. 1 nationally. She will enjoy the distinction for however it lasts. She’s less than a year from competing in high school. Although she’s yet to decide what school she will attend next fall, Tori has already set big goals.
“I definitely want to compete (for) or win a state championship in high school and I want to swim in college,” she said. “It would be really fun to go to the Olympic Trials and see what happens.”