10-year-old sets sights on Olympics

LAMBERTVILLE -- Ashley Hartung glides through the water with the greatest of ease.

The 10-year-old swimmer is making a name for herself, and one day, she would like to make a name for herself as an Olympic medalist.

Over the weekend she finished seventh in the state in the 200-meter individual medley, fourth in the 200 meter and 100-meter freestyles, sixth in the 100-meter backstroke, and fourth in the 400-meter freestyle in Michigan's state championship for swimmers aged 14 and under. Ashley was ranked third in the state going into the competition and qualified for all 11 events. The swim finals at Saginaw Valley State University drew 700 competitors from across Michigan on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

From Aug. 3 to 5 she'll be in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., in the USA Swimming Central Zone Championships, which will have teams from seven states. Ashley qualified for six events and will be on the Michigan team.

"It's exciting," she said.

Ashley will be in the fifth grade at Douglas Road Elementary in the fall. She trains in Ann Arbor with Club Wolverine and has been swimming competitively for three years, according to her mother, Lynn Hartung.

Her coach, Laura Cowley, described Ashley as "committed and dedicated to her swimming … Ashley shows up at each practice ready to tackle the day's workout."

Ashley's family also includes her father, Tony Hartung, and sisters, Courtney, 12, and Kennedy, 8.

Training is a rigorous Monday through Saturday schedule. This summer she has been arriving at the 50-meter pool in Ann Arbor at 8 p.m. for a 90 minute workout.

As soon as she is finished, she drinks a glass of chocolate milk, returns home for a snack, and is in bed by 11 p.m. During the school year, the practices are earlier and she is home by 9 p.m. Homework is done each day before she heads up to Ann Arbor.

Mr. Hartung credits Club Wolverine with training his daughter well and emphasizing the importance of being a solid, all-around competitive swimmer skilled in all four strokes -- butterfly, back, breast, and freestyle.

Ashley said her favorite competitive event is the 200-meter individual medley, which includes all of the strokes.

She has her sights set high: Her goal is to make the Olympic trials in four years.

"Of course, she'll have to meet certain qualifying times. She has a way to go, but she has time," her father said.

Ashley said she follows the swimming scene. Her favorite male stars are Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, both members of the U.S. Olympic team and winners of multiple medals. Her female favorites are gold medalist Natalie Coughlin and teenager Missy Franklin, who has qualified for four Olympic events.