Kaylie O'Connell is This Week's Whiz Kid

Stoneham Patch Whiz Kid of the Week

• Kaylie O’Connell, 15
• Accomplishment: O’Connell won the Ruth Timpone Award for outstanding freshman female athlete for 2011-2012.

Key to Awesomeness: When she was three years old, O’Connell started swimming lessons at the Melrose YMCA. At the age of 8, she joined the swim team at the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn. At 11 years old, she decided to take her swimming career to the next level by joining the Crimson Aquatics team in Andover where she currently swims.

As an eighth grader, she swam on the girls' varsity swim team and broke four school individual records (100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 200 IM and two relay records). She was an All-Star as an eighth grader.

As a freshman, O’Connell was a Boston Globe All-Scholastic Award recipient in the 200-yard free style and placed first at the Division II state meet. She placed second at the Division II state in the 100-yard butterfly and again was crowned an All-Star. O’Connell will be entering her sophomore year in the fall and her list of accomplishments will continue to grow.

O’Connell was thrilled to win the Ruth Timpone Award in her first year at the high school level.

“It was an honor to be chosen out of the female freshman because there are a lot of great athletes in my class,” O’Connell said. “As I have just finished my freshman year, I have already received four varsity letters. In eighth grade, I had the opportunity to swim on the girls' varsity swim team due to a low number of athletes in that sport. Because I swim year round, while being a three-sport athlete, winning this award truly shows that my hard work and dedication really paid off.”

While O’Connell accomplished so much, she is still not satisfied and wants to continue her success for the rest of her high school career.

“It feels amazing to be a Globe All-Scholastic as a freshman,” O’Connell said. “It has inspired me to work harder so I can achieve this honor in my years to come.”

O’Connell attributes her success in athletics to her coaches, teammates and parents.

“They push me to improve and give me the support I need to excel and succeed,” O’Connell said. “While most people are still sleeping, my dad gets up at 4 a.m. twice to three times a week in order to get me to swim practice for 4:45 a.m. in Andover.”

During the fall season, O’Connell had the opportunity to swim in every event for Stoneham High.

“My main individual events were the 500 yard free-style, 200 yard free-style and 100 yard butterfly,” O’Connell said. “I was also part of the 200 IM medley relay, 200 yard free-style relay and 400 yard free-style relay. At the Division II State meet this past fall, I swam the 200 yard free style, 100-yard butterfly and 200 and 400-yard free style relay.”

O’Connell is also on the girls' varsity gymnastics team where she placed third on bars at the Middlesex League meet. She was also awarded Stoneham High’s Winter Scholar Athlete.

O’Connell runs for the varsity outdoor track team where she runs in the 800 meter and 4x800 relay and was awarded Stoneham High’s Spring Scholar Athlete as well.

“I am proud to be part of Stoneham High School and hope to continue to make them proud in and out of the pool,” O’Connell said.