NICEVILLE, Fla. — A young Niceville athlete has reached the Top 10 in a national voting competition for young athletes and is seeking community support as voting continues.
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Ten-year-old Alison Ruckman has advanced to the Top 10 in her group in the 2026 Youth Athlete of the Year Competition. Voting is now underway to determine which competitors advance to the Top 5.
Alison is a multi-sport athlete who plays lacrosse with the Niceville Eagles Lacrosse Club, swims with the Bluewater Bay Wahoos and competes as a Level 3 gymnast with US Gold Gymnastics in Miramar Beach.
Her mother, Mary Ruckman, said Alison’s path to competitive gymnastics has been an example of the determination she hopes her daughter carries with her beyond sports.
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After about six months in gymnastics, Alison tried out for the competitive team and earned a second evaluation, according to her mother. She did not make the team that year but continued training and returned the following year to try again.
This time, she earned a place on the Level 3 competitive team.
“That perseverance is exactly what we want her to take away from this experience: sometimes you don’t get the ‘yes’ the first time, but that doesn’t mean you stop working for it,” Ms Ruckman said.
The Youth Athlete of the Year Competition is operated by Colossal Management, LLC. Public voting began Aug. 17, with competitors advancing through a series of rounds. The Top 5 round runs through Sept. 17, followed by group finals beginning that day.
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The eventual winner will receive a prize package valued at up to $32,500, including a $25,000 honorarium. The winner is also scheduled to participate in a 3BRAND advertising campaign appearing in Sports Illustrated and during the Family Film & TV Awards on CBS and receive a mentoring session with NFL quarterback Russell Wilson.
The competition benefits DTCare, a registered public charity that will grant donations to Wilson’s Why Not You Foundation, according to the competition website.
For Alison and her family, the competition also offers a chance to represent Niceville and the local sports organizations that helped her develop as an athlete.
Voting in the Top 5 round continues through Thursday, Sept. 17. Cast your vote here.
