Ally Howe – Swimming – Senior

National records tend to fall on a routine basis at the Bay Area’s two section swim championships. There were three new ones set between the Central Coast and North Coast Section events this year, but only one had famed Olympic champion Missy Franklin’s name attached to it. It was Howe who broke Franklin’s national independent (private schools) 100-yard backstroke record with a time of…

   Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton – Swimming – Senior 

   National records tend to fall on a routine basis at the Bay Area’s two section swim championships. There were three new ones set between the Central Coast and North Coast Section events this year, but only one had famed Olympic champion Missy Franklin’s name attached to it. It was Howe who broke Franklin’s national independent (private schools) 100-yard backstroke record with a time of 51.84 seconds at the CCS Trials on May 16. She lowered the mark to 51.54 in the finals a day later. Franklin’s record of 52.30 had stood since 2011. Howe, who also set a CCS record in the 200 individual medley and was on the champion 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams for SHP, will swim at Stanford next season — where she may swim against Franklin, who stars for Cal. 

   IN HER OWN WORDS: “It’s definitely a really exciting accomplishment for me. It makes me really excited for college swimming and what I can do in the future.”

   WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Howe and her family are world travelers. She’s been to Italy, Spain, France, England, Tahiti and Singapore (where she swam in her one international event to date). Her favorite locale? Italy.

Honorable Mentions:

Maxime Rooney — The Granada sophomore swimming phenom set NCS records in the 200 and 500 freestyle and anchored a national-record swim by the 400 freestyle relay team. 

Granada high school boys 400 yard freestyle relay team celebrate their win during the 2014 NCS Swimming Championship Saturday, May 16.2014 in Concord, Cailf.. (Photo by Bob Larson Photography.com) 2014

Will Brueckner — The Acalanes senior golfer shot his third straight round in the 60s, a 6-under par 66 to take medalist honors at the CIF NorCal Golf Tournament on May 19.

Taylor Blair — Carondelet softball’s junior pitcher went 4-for-6 with four doubles, two runs, three RBI and also earned two wins during the first week of the NCS playoffs.