Local swimmer competing in Olympic Trials

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2000 | 10:18 a.m.

While most 13-year-olds are preparing for the start of the school year, textbooks and class schedules will be far from Andrea Axtell's mind this week.

For the next eight days, the former Greenspun Middle School student will be among nearly 1,300 athletes competing in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.

Axtell, who moved to Austin, Texas, in January to train with Circle C Swimming coach Randy Reese, is one of only a handful of 13-year-olds to meet the Olympic Trials qualifying standards.

Although Axtell will be in some exclusive company at the Trials, competing against this country's best swimmers in both the women's 100- and 200-meter butterfly, she said she has no illusions of making this year's Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

"This is more for experience than making the Olympics," Axtell said in a phone interview from Austin. "But, hopefully in 2004 ..."

Axtell's goal this week will be to qualify for the U.S. National Junior Team, which would allow her to compete in international meets as a representative of the United States.

"I hope to accomplish a place on the National Junior Team, where they take the fastest 15-and-under swimmer in that event in the United States," she said. "That's my goal."

Axtell admitted she was both "nervous and excited" going into the biggest meet of her young career.

"I've been swimming since I was six years old and ever since I started swimming, I've always had the dream to make the Olympic Team and this is just another step along the way," Axtell said.

Before she moved to Austin to swim for Reese, Axtell said qualifying for this year's Olympic Trials seemed like an unattainable goal.

"When I first came here, Randy told me that his goal was to have me in the Olympic Trials this year," Axtell said. "I thought he meant four years from now but he said, 'No, this year.'

"I knew I would really have to work hard and all the hard work has really paid off."

Axtell, who swam for Team Rebel Aquatics in Las Vegas before moving to Austin, qualified in the 100-meter fly with a time of 1:02.94 and the 200-meter fly at 2:17.18.

Considering Reese's resume, Axtell said, she wasn't all that surprised that she was able to qualify for this year's Trials.

"I really like the team down here and we're swimming with two Olympians, Ron Karnaugh and Josh Davis, so it's really fun to work with them," Axtell said. "My coach, Randy Reese, has produced more than 50 Olympic swimmers and 34 (Olympic) medals."

At this rate, Axtell might just add to Reese's impressive totals before her competitive days are finished.