Three Sarasota swimmers head to Olympic Training Center

Three Sarasota swimmers will get a taste of the big leagues this week as they head to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Arik Katz, Isabel Traba and Emma Weyant of the Sarasota Sharks swim team were chose to join 93 other swimmers Oct. 19-22 at the USA Swimming National Select Camp. 

“We’re thrilled to have three of our Sharks athletes take part of such an amazing experience,” said Brent Arckey, head coach of the Sarasota YMCA Sharks. “This camp could be the inspiration they need to catapult their swimming career and take them to the next level that they’ve all worked so hard for.”

Swimmers are selected based on qualifying times. The three fastest athletes in each event, ranging from age 14 to 16, are invited to the camp. The camp doesn't guarantee a spot on a national team, but it is an important step towards that goal.

"The National Select Camp is an important stepping stone for athletes on the brink of earning a spot on the National Junior Team,” Pat Hogan, managing director of USA Swimming's Club Development Department, said in a release. “A strategic element of this camp is teaching and reinforcing the National Team culture, which has always been a key part of the USA’s success in international competition. We want these athletes to cultivate a deep-rooted allegiance to Team USA.”