Micah Martindale

Just Add Water

When Bossier City’s Micah Martindale jumps into the pool, she's in it for the long haul.

Martindale is the best female freestyle distance swimmer in Louisiana history. "She just likes it the longer the race goes," says City of Shreveport Swim Team Coach Butch Jordan, who has watched her grow. When the race goes over 100 meters, everybody is in Micah's wake.

In 2005, the Airline High School student, who has accepted a scholarship offer from two-time NCAA champion Auburn University, set state records in the 400 meters (4:19.91), the 800 meters (8:49.19) and 1,500 meters (16:51.02). Micah has won the Female Swimmer of the Meet seven times in the Louisiana Swimming Championship, four times in the long course and three times in the short course.

Only two other Louisiana female swimmers have ever broken nine minutes in the 800 meter freestyle. And Micah's time qualified her for the trials for the 2008 Olympics, where she could earn a trip to the Olympics in Beijing, China. Her 400 meter record is just a half second over the Olympic Trials standard. And she still has time to lower that.

Only one other Louisiana female, Ashley Tappin of New Orleans, has ever participated in the Olympics. Micah would be the second Bossier City native to reach the Olympics. Boxer Tim Dement (1972) is the other.

Micah's future is bright. Her 400-meter and 1,500-meter bests qualified her for the Senior Nationals, and she is considered one of the five best high school distance swimmers in the United States.

When Micah went to the 2005 Conoco/Phillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif., one of her goals was to better 4:27.00 in the 400 meters. When she set the state record in the 800, in her first event of the meet, she beat 4:27 twice, all in the same race! She covered the first 400 meters in 4:24.41. In the second 400 meters of the race, she was timed in 4:24.78, which experts point out was probably faster than the first half time because of the dive that started the event. Said one knowledgeable source, it was akin to famed mile runner Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute barrier in 1954 and then, instead of collapsing in the arms of his coach, continuing for another mile at the same or better pace!