Top Age Group Ranking Profile

We are proud to spotlight a group of 14 & Under swimmers who are making their mark within the TAG (Top Age Group) Rankings across Canada. Recognized through the leadership and support of the Canadian Swim Coaches Association (CSCA), these athletes represent the next wave of Canadian swimming excellence.

As we launch this series, we celebrate the coaches, clubs, and families who support these swimmers — and we look forward to following their journey as they continue to rise within Canada’s performance pathway.

Let’s set the story straight.

Swimmers, even those with immense talent, don’t just wait for a race to start, hit the water and hope for the best.

No, it’s a process. Many factors are involved which include a little science, some quickness and agility, maturity and plenty of patience. Toss it all together, and what you have is a start to something big.

While we have no clue about what lies ahead for talented Toronto swimmer Esli Herrington, there is plenty to like about her demeanor, a commitment to improvement, as well as the numerous achievements she has already piled up in the water.

Talk with her and it becomes quite clear that combining the test of skill, endurance and a positive attitude are all evident. So, what’s missing? Try a demand for personal attention and any daily form of satisfaction. That’s because those aren’t on her list of priorities.

At 14 years of age, Herrington is soft spoken and always on top of subtle reminders – especially as it relates to the world of swimming. In the water, be it practice or competing, she’s the one bursting with energy.

Herrington is featured in a special series of stories by Swim Ontario recognizing a few of Canada’s top-ranked age group swimmers. Count on seeing her name among those appearing on the leaderboard at major swim meets. That also includes the international circuit.

In the reputable Top Age Group (TAG) rankings, released by the Canadian Swimming Coaches Association (CSCA), Herrington is in the elite category of several events for girls in her age group.

While 2025 just may have provided a glimpse of her talent in the water, appearing in a handful of categories depicting the best of the best in Canada, Herrington has created lots of attention in the 50 and 100-metres freestyle, the 100 and 200-metres butterfly, and the 200 and 400-metres individual medley. Yes, she’s that good.

In January of 2026, Herrington made her first Canadian Junior Trials standard in the 100-metres butterfly. A few weeks later, on Valentine’s Day, she did it again – making her second Junior Trials standard. This time in the 200-metres individual medley.

“I swim for fun,” she said in a telephone conversation when asked if performance times are a priority. “I’m always looking to improve – get better and faster. I have learned that you need to like what you’re doing – and that describes me.”

Herrington’s initiation to what would become a great start to an acclaimed swim career came via swim lessons. It’s the kind that involve parent and tot in those early years. In just a short period of time, she was swimming on her own.

Competitive swimming would enter her life at age eight when she joined the Toronto Swim Club. A year later, her first competitive race was the 25-metres freestyle. It was a race she won’t forget because her goggles fell off - and Herrington was disqualified.

That was then. These days, she’s collecting medals. In fact, she’s earned more than other swimmers carry in their dreams. For Herrington, there are so many medals that she will soon have to find a larger box for storage.

Herrington may very well be in store for piling up the victories so quickly and easily that that she may be able to check her voicemail messages while other swimmers still require time to finish.

When Herrington swims, it’s a spectacle to watch.

Particularly special was her performance at the 2025 Ontario Swim Championships at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. The event was hosted by swim clubs in Peterborough, Whitby and Etobicoke. In her age group, Herrington won three individual medals in six events and a fourth in a 4 x 100-metres freestyle relay.

Bill O’Toole, head coach of the Toronto Swim Club, knows a great deal about talent when he sees it. As a former Swim Ontario Coach of the Year, he’s coached athletes to a combined 100 National and another 100 Provincial records.

“I have an eye for talent and when I saw her swim that first time, I saw something special,” said O’Toole who has coached the sport for some 30 years. “The gift, that magic that some swimmers have. She had it then and now.

“She may be a bit shy, but she’s bright and very coachable. The sky is the limit fort her. Super gifted – the mindset, the talent and the character. She has it all. If she wants, she will be very successful.”

Now as a grade 9 student at Riverdale Collegiate, she’s adjusted to the switch from elementary to secondary school. In the pool, things have also changed from seven practices to 11, and six days a week at the University of Toronto Athletic Centre.

So, what’s next?

For Herrington, who treats every race like a golden opportunity, it may very well be all about handling pressure, persistence, grit and hard work, and continuing to compete with the same intensity and focus. The best case scenario, Herrington will be competing for Canada very soon on the international stage.

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.