Swimmer Claire Curzan has been named the 2022 USA Today High School Girls Athlete of the Year winner.
Curzan, who graduated high school this spring and will attend Stanford in the fall, was informed of the win in a video that aired on the CBS Mornings show on Tuesday as she prepared to begin racing at the US National Championships in Irvine, California.
She was informed of her selection via a surprise webstream by recently-retired NFL superstar and legendary sporting personality Rob Gronkowski.
🚨Surprise!🚨 Congrats to the @USATODAY Girls Athlete of the Year @claire_curzan‼️
Claire is already an Olympic Silver medalist and made history in her time at @athleticscghsnc.@RobGronkowski broke the news to Claire on @CBSMornings. #USATODAYHSSA pic.twitter.com/0sQTIyeINV
— USA TODAY High School Sports Awards (@hssportsawards) July 26, 2022
Curzan’s record-setting senior year at Cardinal Gibbons High School in North Carolina included setting 5 National High School Records: three in short course meters, and two in the more traditional short course yards. Her records in the 100 yard fly in February also set an American Record for swimmers of any age.
Curzan’s senior year came after racing for the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games in July. There, she placed 10th in the 100 fly and won a silver medal by swimming the preliminary round butterfly leg on the women’s 400 medley relay.
More recently, at the World Championships in June 2022, Curzan won an individual bronze medal in the 100 backstroke, plus four relay medals for Team USA.
I would have been nervous too!
Congrats-very cool honor.
Nice to see swimming getting some good publicity. well done CC
Congratulations Claire !!!