Alisa Schuknecht
IM
5-7 · Sr.
Bend, Ore. (Bend Senior HS)
Major: Nutrition

Senior swimmers Liz Hoffman and Alisa Schuknecht are the epitome of what a college coach looks for in an athlete: someone who succeeds both for the team in the pool and for themselves with their studies. As seniors on a talented, fourth-ranked Longhorns women's swimming and diving squad, Hoffman and Schuknecht have given co-head coaches Jill Sterkel and Mike Walker lots of leadership and success for three-plus years while also succeeding academically.

Both of them have been important point scorers for the Longhorns, who have earned the Big 12 Conference championship team title in each of their first three seasons at the Forty Acres and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships as well.

Hoffman, a senior finance major, is a tri-captain of the 2004-05 Longhorns and serves as a UT Athletics SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) representative for the team. SAAC works closely with the UT athletic administration as the student-athletes' voice on many topics, and also coordinates community service projects for the teams.

Hoffman specializes in middle-distance and distance freestyle events, and excels in those events as evidenced by being named a seven-time All-Big 12 Conference swimmer.

Additionally, Hoffman's dedication to her craft is also reflected in the classroom, where she has been named a Scholastic All-American by the national swimming coaches associations and to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Schuknecht, a senior nutrition major, also is serving as tri-captain for this year's team, This is her second year serving as captain. Schuknecht specializes in individual medley competition where she has garnered several accolades, including a spot on the NCAA All-American Honorable Mention Team. She currently owns the best time on the team in the 400 IM (4:18.92).

Furthermore, Alisa shows the same passion in the classroom as she does in the pool. Selected to the elite Big 12 All-Academic First Team the past two seasons (2003 and 2004), she also was named the Texas women's swimming Academic MVP last year.

"Liz and Alisa both represent the ideals of student-athletes at a major university," said Walker. "They balance athletics, academics and leadership in a way that few can achieve in college, let alone being a high-level student-athlete. They are great leaders and role models in our program."

Although only a sophomore, Poston Pritchett's accomplishments in and outside the pool are to be admired. Under 2004 USA Olympic men's swimming head coach and UT mentor Eddie Reese, Pritchett has succeeded as a swimmer and as a student - making him a coach's ultimate dream.

"Poston is a first-class individual," Reese stated. "He understands the interpersonal aspect of life, the hard-work part of it and the swimming part of it. We knew he was special ever since his recruiting trip to Austin."

Pritchett, a liberal arts major, is the Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a select group of student-athletes whose goals are community service/volunteer projects in the community and to achieve the best possible environment for UT student-athletes by working closely with the UT athletic administration on many topics which effect the lives of the students. In addition to this leadership role, Pritchett has been honored for his academic achievements by being named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

While Pritchett succeeds outside the pool, his accomplishments in the water are equally as impressive. Pritchett was a member of Austin-based Longhorn Aquatics' 400-meter freestyle relay team that captured the title at the Senior Nationals in 2004. He also placed 12th nationally in the 50-meter freestyle and qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle.