Into the swim of things

Mike Sciacca

Her green braces and shy smile serve as gentle reminders that Cindy

Tran is just a youngster. But when you see her compete, she seems

well beyond her 12 years.

The talented Mesa View Middle School student was recognized for

her swimming endeavors at the May 3 City Council meeting at City

Hall.

Cindy, accompanied by Golden West Swim Club Coach Rick Graves, was

presented a commendation by Mayor Cathy Green for breaking the

national record in the 11-12 age division’s 50-yard backstroke.

She swam to a record time of 26.23 at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long

Beach earlier this year. She set the national record as an

11-year-old.

“That was a neat night,” she said of the meeting, as she took a

break from swimming Monday at the Golden West College pool. “It was

nice to be honored for that accomplishment and I think the award

should also go to my coaches and teammates for all the help and

support they’ve given me.”

It was the second national record set by the Gifted And Talented

Education student, who, a year earlier, set her first national age

group mark when she broke the 50-yard backstroke record in the 9-10

division with a time of 27.81.

“She got hungry after setting that first national record,” Graves

said. “She said that she wanted to break an 11-12 division record

when she was 11, and she did just that.”

They were thrilling moments in her young life.

“It was very exciting, sort of magical, when I set those records,”

Cindy said. “My coaches and teammates all knew I could do it, and

they really gave me a lot of support.”

Cindy gets her instruction from Graves, and fellow Golden West

Swim Club coaches Laurel Hill and her husband, Peter Ney.

“Cindy has an amazing ability to harness the speed she generates

off walls,” Graves said. “She can manipulate her body and she’s very

bright. She just does a lot of things very well. We have to allow her

to be as successful in this environment, but still recognize that

she’s just a kid.”

Cindy is part of a Golden West Swim Club that is home to several

swimmers who rank among the top 16 in the nation in their respective

age groups.

The club team has swimmers ages 12 to 21.

At the Junior Olympics held earlier this year, Golden West Swim

Club placed 14th, overall.

Cindy swept the 11-12 age group in the 50- and 100-yard backstroke

events, the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, the 100-yard

individual medley and the 50-yard butterfly.

It was at this meet where she set the new 11-12 age group standard

in the 50-yard butterfly.

Many so-called swimming experts have said that Cindy could

represent the U.S. in a future Olympic Games.

“That would be awesome and making the Olympic team is one of my

goals,” she said. “I hope to go to the Olympics in 2008 and compete

in college, even make it my career.”

Cindy, who was born and raised in Huntington Beach, first took up

swimming at 3 but began to enter competitions when she was 8, she

said.

Her brother, Alex, 8, also is a member of the Golden West Swim

Club.

When not at Golden West College, the Trans swim in their home

pool.

“I try to help him out, but he just doesn’t listen,” Cindy said of

her brother, flashing one of her shy smiles.

Cindy, who estimates that she’s won more than 100 ribbons and

trophies for her swimming and has won awards for her school art work,

will compete this weekend in Irvine.

But, she says, what she enjoys most is training with her Golden

West teammates.

A core group of friends and competitors include Tom Shields, Troy

Edwards, Sage Russo, Britanny Koenker, Nic Pitti, Julian Bonse,

Brittany Irvin and Chris and Henry Huynh, all of whom have swam

together for the past five years.

“It’s sort of like a big swim meet at practice,” she said. “I get

to see my friends and we all get to race each other.

“My coaches have taught me quite a bit. Coach Peter has taught me

just about everything I know about swimming. Coach Rick trains me

hard and teaches me new things all the time, and coach Laurel, it’s

safe to say, is like my second mom. My teammates and coaches have

really helped me grow as a swimmer.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.