Carol Pflugheber, a native of Dexter, grew up in a swimming family and began swimming competitively at age 13. From there, it was one record-breaking year after another, until well into her 40s.

Carol and three of her sisters competed for Watertown High School, and the Cyclones won the Section 3 title with Carol and sisters Gina and Marilyn on the team in 1970. A 1971 graduate of WHS, Carol moved on to Arizona State University and was an All-American four seasons for the NCAA Division I Sun Devils. She was a member of Arizona State's 200 medley relay that held the U.S. record time for two years.

Upon turning 25, Carol turned toward masters competition and set more records. She won first place in the 100 backstroke in the world championship meet in Toronto. After a 10-year break to raise her children, Carol and four of her sisters entered the World Masters Championship in Montreal in 1994, and Carol took second, third, fourth and fifth in individual races.

Carol also shattered marks in the Empire State Games, breaking five marks in 1994, winning three gold medals and a silver in 1995 and taking four gold and a silver in 1996. She placed in the top 10 in five events in the national masters short course championships in 1994. In 1995, she took first in the 50 butterfly in the YMCA Masters National Championship.

Carol also coached many years for the area YMCA Blue Sharks and Fort Drum Dolphins and in 2001 was a member of the first class in Watertown High School's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Achievement.

Now Carol Puels, she resides in Albany and is director for the child care center at St. Peter's Health Care. She still swims almost every day, often in the morning before work.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Watertown Daily Times' North Country's Greatest Athletes series appears each Monday on Page C2 of the Times sports section. The 100 athletes selected by the Times are not ranked in any particular order.