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Steamboat Springs — He's only 10, but Frank Ruppel understands the importance of good coaching.

Frank, who swims for the Steamboat Springs Team Lightning summer club swim team, admits he wasn't exactly a fish when he started competitive swimming at age 6. But a couple of coaches and long lessons later, Frank is one of the best and brightest swimmers in the region.

"I started swimming and didn't have the best of luck," he said. "But I got with the coaches and started improving. It came naturally."

Naturally enough that Frank is on the verge of making the Colorado Swim Team and getting an invite to Hawaii to compete against the best swimmers in all of the Western United States.

During the weekend, Frank set two zone times in the 50- and 100-meter backstrokes. If he sets one more in either of his other events - the 50 or 100 butterfly - Frank will qualify for the event in Hawaii.

Zone times are times swimmers have to achieve for consideration for the Colorado Swim Team.

Frank and the rest of his Steamboat teammates left Thursday for the Western Slope Open in Grand Junction. There, Frank said he thinks he has a shot in the 50 and 100 fly. He's only 1 second off of qualifying in the 50-meter event.

Frank comes from a swimming family where all of his siblings swam at top levels. His mother, Jill, said she thinks friendly family competition has helped motivate Frank.

She said he mentioned making zone times to her early this year. Now, it's a reality.

"All of this is coming from him," said Jill, who also helps coach Team Lightning. "I didn't even think about zones and all we do is eat, drink and sleep swimming. : I figured we'd be done with swimming by the end of July. Not in Frank's book, if he has his way."

Frank also plays football, soccer and is a Nordic skier. But he says swimming is easily his favorite and best sport.

No one will doubt him now.

"I'll be pretty disappointed if I don't make it," Frank said about qualifying for the Colorado Swim Team. "But I don't think that's going to happen."

If he doesn't make it this weekend, Frank will have one more chance - July 25 and 26 in Fort Collins at a Junior Olympics event.