Roeper ninth grader, Alexandra Blankenburg of Rochester, was named a State Champion at the 13/14 and Open State Swim Championship Meet in Jenison, Michigan on March 19 through 21, 2010. Alex swims with the Oakland Live Y’ers Swim Team (OLY). OLY is one of the top USA Swimming competitive age group programs in the country. The OLY program is based in Rochester Michigan and trains at Oakland University.

At the state meet she finished 1^st in the mile and the 200 fly, in which took the State Champion title. She finished 2^nd in the 400IM and 3^rd in the 200IM, 200 free and the 500 freestyle. Alex came in runner up for the high point which is for the swimmer who does the best overall in their age group.

“Alex pretty much began swimming at birth, but began competitive swimming when she was 7-years-old,” said Alex’s mom, Dee Blankenburg. “Two years ago she began a program in senior blue that develops advanced and elite athletes. Her program consists of six nights a week of swimming three hours and three mornings a week of swimming two hours.”

This season, Alex has gone to New York, Indianapolis and will head to Illinois and then Texas. She swims year round, with about two to three weeks of break for the entire year.

All graduates from OLY swim in college if they choose to do so as they are very much in demand. Alex has decided this is what she wants to do for college and has a very good chance of doing so.

Alex’s other interests include theatre, and playing the piano and trumpet.

Founded in 1941, The Roeper School is a uniquely personalized, coeducational school for gifted and talented children in preschool through grade 12 from over 60 communities in southeast Michigan. With campuses in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham, MIch., Roeper was conceived on founding principles that recognize the power of education, choice and self-expression, and the transformative impact these principles have on young minds. For more information, please visit www.roeper.org.

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