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Juneau's Glacier Swim Club got an impressive look at its present and future a week ago at the Alaska Age Group Championships in Ketchikan, and an even brighter look at its present in Austin, Texas, this past weekend.

Ciera Kelly, 12, led the Juneau contingent of the Southeast Swim Team, which also includes swimmers from Ketchikan, at the age championships. Kelly placed first in a whopping seven events over the meet's two days, including three new GSC records.

"We are blessed with a very strong group of 11- and 12-year-old girls this year," GSC coach Scott Griffith said. "They were breaking records, and I'm pretty sure they swept the high points awards."

Griffith also pointed to the 13- and 14-year-old boys as the strength of the male group. Jonah Swanson, 13, led their charge with first-place finishes in five different events.

"Those boys had a slew of 10th-and-under finishes," Griffith said. "We've got a very bright future ahead of us."

Middle school swimmers in the GSC regularly participate in five or six two-hour practice sessions each week. Elementary swimmers regularly come for up to six days as well, with their sessions limited to 90 minutes.

"They certainly aren't required to come to every practice," Griffith said. "But they're a tight-knit bunch, and they sort of pressure each other into coming to practice every day."

Griffith, a former collegiate swimmer at the University of Virginia, is now in his fifth year with the team and spent last weekend along with JDHS juniors Cody Brunette and Nick Rutecki at the Junior Nationals in Austin.

Both longtime GSC swimmers, Brunette and Rutecki have grown up considerably on the timeboard and each qualified for the prestigious national event while leading their Crimson Bears team to the state title at the 2008 Alaska State Championships this fall.

Brunette posted a time of 49.9 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly to take 12th, the pair's only placing time at the meet. Brunette's is time, which held up well against his personal bests, was made more impressive by his lack of rest and considering it was both swimmer's first time facing national competition.

"His turns were awful, and he was the last one off the block by far on every race. Weird how what you think are his strengths in state, turn up to be exposed weaknesses at the next level," Griffith said. "It also shows he has room for improvement."

Only the top 16 swimmers placed in each event. Brunette also posted a time of 1:44.5 in the 200-yard freestyle.

"I was worried about that one - knew it would hurt," Griffith said. "But he actually looked pretty good."

Rutecki finished his time trial in the 50-meter freestyle in 21.4 seconds.

"It was an excellent swim considering he was under water too long on his start and almost missed the wall on the turn," Griffith said.

Rutecki is playing on the JDHS hockey team, but both swimmers have set their eyes on qualifying for the next World Championship Trials - a gathering of the world's best high school swimmers. That type of ambition, and their already stellar times, have gained the pair recognition from some very high places already.

"We actually got to meet (University of Texas) coach Eddie Reese while we were at the Austin pool. He coaches the top-ranked team in the country, and one of his swimmers broke the American 200 freestyle record a few weeks ago," Griffith said.

Recruiting rules limited the pair's conversation with Reese to Alaska small-talk and tips on local restaurants, but Griffith sees some much more meaningful conversations in their future.

"They're both interested in Texas so far. I don't think people realize what two great athletes they are in Juneau," he added. "Not too many athletes can go to top 10 Division I schools. They have the potential to do that and maybe the 2012 Olympics - you never know."