Cedar Rapids Jefferson freshman Kelsey Drake is this week's winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Drake has burst onto the scene this year as one of the top swimmers in the state. She ranks first in the state in the 100 butterfly (57.14), second in the 200 individual medley (2:11.36), fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.96) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (53.81).

Drake shattered the meet and pool records at the Kennedy Invitational Saturday when she captured the 100 butterfly in 57.7 seconds, clipping nearly three seconds off a mark that had stood since 1988.

Earlier this season, she broke the pool and school records in the 100 butterfly during a meet at Jefferson.

Here is our Question-&-Answer session with Kelsey Drake:

MSR: What is your favorite individual highlight in sports?

KELSEY: This is a hard question. There have been so many highlights, and it is hard to pick just one. My top two highlights would have to be qualifying for summer Junior Nationals in California. I qualified in the 100 fly, 50 free and 200 fly. Junior Nationals is a swim meet for USA swimmers that qualify, but are 18 years old or younger.

My second one is when I was younger, around 11, and I was swimming the 100 fly. It was a prelim final meet. Swim in the morning, then again at night with the same event. My prelim time was about a two-second time drop, and then my final swim was even better! I dropped two more seconds. That was really a breakout swim for me, and I will always remember that night.

MSR: What is your favorite team highlight in sports?

KELSEY: My favorite team highlight was when I went to Indianapolis with CRAA for a training trip. While there we also watched World trials. I loved watching the world-class swimmers and had a blast training and hanging out with my teammates.

MSR: Who has had the biggest influence on your sports career?

KELSEY: I think that my biggest influences would be my two CRAA club coaches. Without them I do not think I would be where I am today. My competitors are also a big influence because they push me to be my best.

MSR: What are your future goals in sports?

KELSEY: My future goals in swimming would be to go to the Olympic Trials, and go on to swim at a Division I school. I also want to make the Junior National swim team, which is a USA swim team that competes in other countries. Again, this is for 18 years old and younger. They take the top six swimmers in each event throughout the nation.

MSR: What are your favorite classes in school?

KELSEY: My favorite classes in school would probably be math and science.

MSR: What has been your favorite community service project?

KELSEY: My favorite community service project was last year when we had Let's Make A Difference Week at Taft. As a member of Taft Student Leadership we organized different events each day to support the community or the school.