U-School’s Vallmitjana and Gibbons’ Radich are Broward Swim/Diving Athletes of the Year
Juan Vallmitjana and Juliet Radich each began their respective journeys about a decade ago.
Vallmitjana, a sophomore at Davie NSU University School, started swimming at age 6 and gradually became one of the state’s best.
Radich, a junior at Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons began swimming at age 7 when she decided to take up diving and became one of the most skilled athletes in the country in that discipline.
Both took their talents to greater heights this past season, and likely are just getting started.
Vallmitjana and Radich are the Miami Herald’s Athletes of the Year for Broward County in swimming and diving this season.
Radich secured back-to-back state championships in the 1-meter diving at the Class 2A state meet and was the county’s top overall performer once again in the event.
And Vallmitjana, after transferring to U-School from St. Thomas Aquinas, showed drastic improvement from last season after finishing state runner-up in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle at the Class 1A meet.
Radich, who holds a 4.0 GPA at Gibbons, represented Team USA at the Junior World Championships this past November and has committed to the University of North Carolina as she looks to continue a path she began as a kid growing up just blocks from the Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale watching other kids pull off the toughest of dives.
“I liked the tricks the older kids were doing, especially off the 10-meter board. I looked up to those kids … Diving is a cool sport,” Radich said before this season.
Vallmitjana finished fourth in the 500 free a year ago and 10th in the 200 free. This season, Vallmitjana swam a time of 4:24.02, which was 13 seconds better than his time last year. And he swam a time of 1:38.51 in the 200 free. Vallmitjana only came up short of a state title in both events to swimmers from mighty Jacksonville Bolles and will look to clear those final hurdles in his upcoming junior season.
