Pelham native and former University of Virginia swimmer Kate Douglass won the Female High Point Award at the Toyota U.S. Open Swimming Championships, which were held from December 4–6 in Austin Texas. As one of the most accomplished swimmers at the meet,  Douglass won four gold medals and a bronze racing against many top swimmers in the U.S. as well as some some international competitors.

Douglass started the meet with a powerful performance in the 200-meter individual medley, where she finished first with a time of 2:07.85. Later that day, she won the 50-meter freestyle in 24.20 seconds, setting a meet record. These early wins helped establish her strength at the competition.

On the second day of the meet, Douglass continued her success by winning the 100-meter breaststroke. She touched the wall first with a time of 1:06.55–and also ended the meet on a high note by winning the 200-meter breaststroke on the final day with a time of 2:20.86. These two wins showed her power among U.S. swimmers in breaststroke events.

In addition to her four gold medals, she also received a bronze medal in the 100-meter freestyle, finishing in 53.82 seconds.

Douglass’ performance stood out not only for the number of medals she won, but for the variety of events in which she showed she can excel–from the 50-meter distance to 200 meters, across breaststroke, freestyle and the individual medley.

Kate Douglass’ performance at the Toyota U.S. Open shows why she is considered one of the top swimmers in the country and the world. It also reflects positively on the University of Virginia’s swimming program, where Douglass swam as an undergraduate and currently trains as a professional swimmer.