{"id":210656,"date":"2016-07-01T14:17:50","date_gmt":"2016-07-01T21:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=210656"},"modified":"2016-07-01T20:08:22","modified_gmt":"2016-07-02T03:08:22","slug":"coming-of-age-the-ruby-martin-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/coming-of-age-the-ruby-martin-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Of Age: The Ruby Martin Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commentary by Michael J. Stott<\/em><\/p>\n

What struck me first was the diminutive size, cherubic face and the pink suit. The fact that she qualified 11th <\/sup>in the 200 fly out of 103 swimmers seemed, well, unusual given that fewer than 25 percent of swimmers at these at Trials were posting best times. In Ruby Martin\u2019s<\/strong> case, the 5\u20196\u201d sprite had gone from 2:12.69 to 2:11.62.<\/p>\n

A breathless postrace interview revealed genuine shock \u2013 and joy. \u201cI\u2019ve been working my butt off all summer for this moment and that race really bumped up my confidence,\u201d she said. A key, she related, was a decision to take the first 100 out faster (done in 1:02.39). The fact that she had already swum more than half of her seven Trials events program was an added plus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told myself on the blocks that I have swum this race so many times I just had to let my body go and do what I normally do. I felt like maybe I could take it out a little faster and maybe make semifinals,\u201d she confided. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n

To Hawkeye State swimming cognoscenti, the name Ruby Martin<\/strong> is familiar. A rising junior at West High in Iowa City, this Iowa Flyer club team member is the state\u2019s number one ranked female swimmer. Primarily an IM, fly and distance free specialist Martin has considerable versatility. Through June 10 she held 40 short and long course state records (ages 9-10 through Open) and 92 Iowa Flyer club records. And she is only 16-years-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cI swim a lot of events and in the last year have focused on IM and fly,\u201d she said. One of three Iowa Flyers at this meet she credits club coaches Richard Salhus<\/strong> and Robert Pinter<\/strong>\u00a0with her training and allowing her to qualify for eight events at Trials (the most of anyone in the state).<\/p>\n

As if that were enough, as a 14-year-old, she was a member of the NCSA All-Star team that competed in the Irish Open where she won the 400 IM, 200 free and 200 butterfly.<\/p>\n

Coming in her Trials program entry sheet looked like this:<\/p>\n

Event\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Psych Sheet Rank\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n