Swift grand champion

Auburn Speed Connection’s Renick dominates the field at Olympic Training Center

January 9, 2017 11:30 am
Michaela Renick leads the way during competition at the Olympic Training Center Velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colo. The competition was from Dec. 30-Jan. 1. She won all of her division races, all but one of her challenge up races (next division up), secured one silver and captured all of her quad races. COURTESY PHOTO, Meagan Renick

Michaela Renick, who skates for Auburn Speed Connection, won nearly all of her inline, quad and ice speed skating races at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dec. 30-Jan. 1).

Renick, 12, captured all of her age division inline speed skating races, all of her quad speed skating races, including placing third in an all-ages race that had more than 25 competitors. She took first and second place in challenge up division races (against competitors up to 3 years older than her). She was second in the ice speed skating portion of the competition and was the grand champion for her age division.

“It is like one more step closer to achieving junior world team status when I am 14 years old,” Renick said of her accomplishments.

Renick, who celebrated her birthday Dec. 28, got a surprise when her parents drove her to the speed skating competition at Colorado Springs.

“It means a lot to me,” she said of competing in speed skating. “Right now, even though I’m not old enough to have a job, it’s a big part of my life that I do everyday as if it is my job. I take it very seriously.

“You get to meet new people and make new friends around the world who have the same interest as you, and you build relationships on that which is really cool,” she added. “I have friends in almost every state that I have met over the years.”

A standout athlete, Renick is a straight-A student from Nisqually Middle School in Lacey. She is involved in her community through Girl Scouts and other organizations.