Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008 | midnight
Ryan Little, 8, swims at the Pavilion Center Pool in Summerlin.
Ryan Little, 8, swims at the Pavilion Center Pool in Summerlin.
Ryan Little won medals in all seven of his swimming events at the Nevada Short Course Championship on Nov. 11 to take the age 8 and under boys points title.
It was an excellent performance for the second-year swimmer, but he still wasn't satisfied.
Ryan, a third grader at John W. Bonner Elementary School, was hoping for five golds, or, better yet, a gold sweep in every event like his idol, swimmer Michael Phelps, who won all his events at the 2008 Olympics.
"I set myself to the goal more because for every first place my dad said he would give me $20," Ryan, 8, said. "I got really close to my goal, so I'm happy."
Ryan captured four golds, winning the 100-yard freestyle, 50 backstroke, 25 butterfly and 50 butterfly. He took second in the 25 freestyle, 100 individual medley and 50 freestyle.
Ryan's dedication to setting his goals high could make him one the state's top swimmers in coming years, his coach Luke Pankhurst said.
"Every day, when he gets here for practice, he's excited and ready to go," Pankhurst said. "No matter what we're working on, he wants to swim."
Ryan joined the team at Pavilion Center Pool in Summerlin as a 6-year-old unable to swim the length of the pool.
Within six months, he learned the strokes and developed an obsession with the sport, his mother Jill Little said.
"He's just a different kid in the water," she said. "It's definitely a sport meant for him"
Ryan got a confidence boost from last year's state championship, when he took second in the 6 and under points standings.
"It's really weird to see an 8-year old want that," she said. "He practices hard, but he really didn't think he would have three silver medals."
Ryan enjoys the butterfly the most because he calls it the most difficult stroke. He practices four or five days a week at the pool, mostly with older swimmers.
"Usually when we race, I can see them in the lanes next to me," Ryan said. "I feel that it pushes me more because I want to beat them."
He will have to get used to competing against older swimmers.
Ryan's next big meet will be the Junior Olympics in February. He will compete in the 10 and younger division.
Sean Ammerman can be reached at 990-2661 or [email protected].
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