Grant Koudelka, the Gilmer Buckeye swim team of one, has achieved All American recognition by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association. He is ranked among the top 100 high school swimmers in the country In the 200 meter freestyle. The award was based upon the time he had when he and Matt Cox of Texarkana tied for second place in the 200-Meter Freestyle event at the UIL state meet in May.

The two swimmers had the 79th best time in the country in the spring meets this year.

While Koudelka is definitely the first Buckeye All American Swimmer, he may well also be the first All American at the high school level in any sport.

In order for a swimmer to be considered as a NISCA High School All-American he/she must compete for an interscholastic team and be scholastically eligible as determined by his/her state athletic association or school authority. He must have reached the ninth grade and be within eight semesters of eligibility. His time had to be recorded at a regularly scheduled interscholastic meet up to and including state meets.

Koudelka also qualified as a Scholastic All American in the 200 meter freestyle. A 3.5 GPA was required to make the cut, and the Buckeye senior has a 3.75 average.

After a brief stop this week in the Metroplex to polish his swimming skills, Grant Koudelka is headed west to Stanford, Calif., where he will compete in the Junior National Swim Trials on the campus of Stanford, University.

Saturday he will join other swimmers scheduled for the junior nationals in watching Michael Phelps and other noted swimmers compete in the National Swim Finals.