Hersey tabbed National Women's College Swimmer of the Week
Jan. 13, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- CollegeSwimming.com has tabbed University of Texas freshman swimmer Kathleen Hersey as its National Women's Collegiate Swimmer of the Week after the Beijing Olympian helped the third-ranked Longhorns to victory at No. 5 Auburn and notched two wins in UT's narrow loss at No. 1 Georgia. Hersey (Roswell, Ga.) helped Texas to its first-ever dual-meet victory over Auburn, as the Horns knocked off the Tigers by a 129-109 count on Jan. 8 at Auburn. Hersey finished the 400 individual medley in 4 minutes, 8.77 seconds and defeated two-time NCAA Champion Ava Ohlgren by nearly eight seconds. Hersey captured the very next event, the 200 butterfly (1:57.23), before later splitting 52.97 on the butterfly in the 400 medley relay, which placed second. Hersey helped UT win the 400 medley relay on Jan. 10 at Georgia in an event where UGA ranks second, nationally. Hersey split 52.19 on the butterfly leg, and the relay took first in 3:39.72. Hersey clocked 54.24 to win the 100 backstroke, where she defeated UGA's Aleksandra Putra, who is ranked fourth nationally. Hersey finished second in the 200 backstroke (1:57.28) behind only Putra, who ranks first nationally in the event. Hersey added a win in the 400 IM (4:13.76), where she defeated her nearest competitor by over five seconds. Hersey placed eighth in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before enrolling at UT in August. In her first semester of college swimming, Hersey broke five individual school records and three individual Big 12 Conference records. She has assisted in the re-writing of two school relay records and one Big 12 Conference relay mark. Hersey earned her first selection as the National College Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 21. Hersey and the Longhorns resume competition on Friday, Jan. 23 at Texas A&M in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown.
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