A panel of 40 sports writers and editors from news outlets across the country voted MoCo-native Katie Ledecky the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the second time, edging out 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in balloting. Ledecky previously won AP Female Athlete of the Year in 2017.
Ledecky was raised in Bethesda, where she attended Little Flower School through eighth grade and attended high school at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, where she graduated in 2015. During her high-school swimming career at Stone ridge, Ledecky twice set the American and US Open record in the 500-yard freestyle, and she twice set the national high school record in the 200-yard freestyle. Ledecky finished her high school career as the holder of the Stone Ridge school record in every swimming event except the 100-meter breaststroke.
Per NBC Sports, “Ledecky took the honor after winning all four of her races at June’s world championships and breaking Natalie Coughlin‘s female record for career world swimming medals (Ledecky is up to 22, including 19 golds). She also became the first swimmer to win five consecutive world titles in one individual event by extending a decade-long win streak in the 800m freestyle.”
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