Island School senior Michelle Woltmon knows what she wants. She knows she wants to earn a varsity letterman jacket before she graduates. She knows she wants to go to a military school upon graduation. She knows she wants to study
Island School senior Michelle Woltmon knows what she wants. She knows she wants to earn a varsity letterman jacket before she graduates. She knows she wants to go to a military school upon graduation. She knows she wants to study engineering.
But she doesn’t always know which Quizno’s Sammies sandwich to get for lunch.
“I don’t know which one I like best,” she said. “I like them both — the chicken and the steak,” she said.
The 17-year-old athlete had the day off from school yesterday and was treating herself to a day of errands before hitting the pool for afternoon swimming practice.
“I really want to go to states again because last year was really fun,” she said.
Whether or not she will be able to has not yet been decided. Her times for some events have already been submitted but the list of athletes representing the Kauai Interscholastic Federation has not yet been released.
At Saturday’s KIF championship meet at Kauai High School, Woltmon finished in the top three of four events. Individually, Woltmon placed third in the 100-yard Freestyle with a time of 1:04.59 and second in the 100-yard Backstroke in which she earned a state consideration time with 1:10.61.
“The 100-yard Backstroke is my favorite, but I’m best at the 200-yard Individual Medley,” she said.
In the relays, she and teammates Juli Blachowiak and Megan and Chelsea Chock finished third in the 200-yard Medley Relay and second in the 200-yard Freestyle relay.
Woltmon started swimming when she was 12 years old. She said she’s always liked the water and that she found swimmers to be a “different type of people.” Being an outgoing person herself, it seemed like the perfect fit for her.
“I loved that atmosphere,” she said. “It was kind of the niche I was looking for.”
She splits her time between school and swimming and admitted she doesn’t have time for much else. She goes to school during the day and practices from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and competes in meets every weekend — at least one of those weekend meets each month is held off-island.
Kirk Correa, Island School’s athletic director, said that Woltmon has brought great exposure to the Voyager sports programs during her high school years.
According to Correa, Woltmon has extremely high expectations of herself and is never satisfied with being an average competitor.
She is also a great leader and is willing to help others learn.
“She puts everybody before herself,” Correa said. “Even during riflery, she would help the incoming freshmen even if she wouldn’t have time to shoot for herself.”
Correa also credits her for being gifted and a good student.
“At the last meet, when they did their senior walk, she started to clean up,” Correa said. “She got her lei and did about half of the walk and then started cleaning up. She couldn’t enjoy her moment (because she was concerned about everyone else).”
Woltmon has been with Island School since she was in kindergarten and has watched the school grow.
“I’ve seen them put the high school in — my sister was part of the graduating class, I’ve seen them put the preschool in. It’s really cool to watch the school evolve,” she said.
The athletic department has also grown during her tenure. Aside from air riflery, cross country, swimming, paddling and track, Island School has added more team sports such as bowling, volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer.
And even though those sports were added in her senior year, she’s just happy that the school has expanded its program.
Bowling was one of the sports she picked up this year to add to her resume.
“I hope they continue (doing well),” she said. “I’m actually really excited for them because I was there before there was even a program.”
Woltmon is ready for a change. Having spent her whole school career at Island School, she said she’s ready to branch out, go to college and experience different things.
But, she wants to remain at a structured school. Just this month, she received congressional nominations for all of her desired military academies — West Point, Air Force Academy, Navy and the Merchant Marine.
“I thrive in the structured environment,” she said. “I went to the Air Force and Navy summer programs and I loved it. Something about the military drew me too it. It’s kind of like how it was for swimming for me but on a bigger scale.”
Woltmon seems to have her future planned out pretty well. She plans on joining the track team later this month. Having completed the air riflery season, bowling and swimming seasons, track is the final sport she has to finish to earn her varsity letterman jacket.
With her congressional nominations, she’s narrowed her choices to Air Force or Navy. And she had her favorite Sammie for lunch.
The Local Motion/Hawaii High School Association State Swimming Championships will be on Feb. 22 and 23 at the Kihei Aquatic Center on Maui.
The first KIF qualifying track meet will be at 4 p.m., Feb. 29 at Vidinha Stadium.
Michelle Woltmon
Age: 17
Hometown: Wailua Homesteads
Family: Parents Joanne and Michael Woltmon; sister LaCona Woltmon
Sports: Air riflery, bowling, swimming
Swimming clubs: Mokihana Aquatics, then Swim Kauai Aquatics
Outside the pool: “I like to sew and play video games. Sometimes my
friends and I will spend an entire day
just playing video games.”
Games played most often: The shooting games. “Mostly TimeSplitter 3 or
Halo 3. It’s fun and easier to shoot
(in the games) than in real life.”
Desired career: Engineer in the military.
Military connections: Both grandfathers
• For more information about Island School and its growing programs, visit www.ischool.org or call 246-0233.
