Sports
Gold Swimmer’s Next Big Step: University of Toledo Rockets
Sophie Taylor swims with the year-round club team Chattahoochee Gold at the Mountain View Aquatic Center in Marietta.
Chattahoochee Gold swimmer Sophie Taylor has committed to swim for the University of Toledo starting in fall of 2018.
“I was looking for colleges up north but not too far west. I wanted a college where I could score in their conference meet as an incoming freshman. Toledo was on my list of schools. I visited the pool and coach back in the spring. I took an official visit in September. I loved the campus, the team, the coaching staff, and pool facility!”
Sophie is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, so choosing UT was about more than athletics, “I got to meet with an academic advisor for my major (Exercise Science). He told me about the program and gave me a tour of the building. Toledo offered everything I was looking for academically.”
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Gold Head Coach Pat Murphy says Sophie had to pick between several top schools and thinks Toledo is a good match, “She’s smart academically, physically tough, and tough-minded in her swimming, and also the first Chattahoochee Gold swimmer to go to Toledo, so we’re excited to follow her progress.”
Sophie’s been a year-round competitive swimmer for Gold since the 8th grade, “I love being on Gold. It’s such a rewarding experience to train everyday with your teammates and then watch them crush their times at meets. One of my proudest moments is the last Senior State meet when our girls went 1-2 in the 400 Free Relay. It was probably one of the best relays I’ve been on. Senior Sectionals was a great meet as a team. The girls ended up placing second as a team overall. I swam the 200 Fly right next to one of my best friends. There’s no greater feeling than having your teammates behind you as you swim the race of your life.”
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Now in her final year with Chattahoochee Gold, Sophie credits the team for developing her skills to compete in college at the University of Toledo,“Gold has prepared me as a great student-athlete, hard worker, swimmer, teammate, and leader. Time management, dedication, hard work, and teamwork are great lessons that I’ve learned and can use throughout life.”