AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas women’s swimming and diving team remains at No. 16 in the latest national team rankings released by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.
Georgia tops the rankings and is followed in the top five by Auburn, Stanford, Arizona and California. The Longhorns opened the season by falling to No. 13 Michigan and defeating No. 22 Indiana on Nov. 2 and 3 in Bloomington, Ind., before closing out the fall with a third-place finish at the Texas Invitational.
Video Boards Debut at the Texas Invitational
Visitors to the recent Texas Invitational at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center were sure to notice a pair of new video boards installed just prior to the meet.
Manufactured by Daktronics, the video board hanging over the north end of the pool measures 10 feet high and 24 feet wide. The video board installed in place of the tote board at the diving well measures 10 feet high and 18 feet wide.
“The addition of these new video boards is another step in enhancing our world-class facility,” said Charles Logan, director of the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. “The boards provide us the ability to display logos, graphics and text, and they give us the potential to add video replays to our competitions. The video boards will add more excitement to our dual-meet atmosphere and bring us the latest in swim-timing technology.
Longhorns Featured Prominently in National Individual Rankings
A productive weekend of swimming at the Texas Invitational has pushed several Longhorns higher in the latest individual event rankings released by USA Swimming.
Below is a listing of Longhorns featured among the top 20 NCAA swimmers in their respective events.
50 Freestyle
6. Hee-Jin Chang – 22.62 (NCAA “A” cut)
100 Freestyle
12. Hee-Jin Chang – 49.18 (NCAA “A” cut)
500 Freestyle
14. Susana Escobar – 4:44.88 (NCAA “A” cut)
20. Macie Garrett – 4:46.63 (NCAA “B” cut)
1000 Freestyle
9. Susana Escobar – 9:55.05
1,650 Freestyle
10. Susana Escobar – 16:22.08 (NCAA “A” cut)
19. Macie Garrett – 16:30.57 (NCAA “B” cut)
200 Breaststroke
14. Alexi Spann – 2:13.96 (NCAA “A” cut)
Tinnon Takes Close Second at USA Swimming Short Course Nationals
Former Longhorn All-American Elizabeth Tinnon took a close second in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events last weekend at the 2007 USA Swimming Short Course National Championships.
Tinnon took second in the 100-yard event at 1:00.01 and second in the 200-yard event in 2:08.90. She currently ranks 28th in the world in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:08.94).
Tinnon, the Longhorns’ school-record holder in both breaststroke events, will join former Texas teammates Connie Brown and Katie Robinson at UT’s fall graduation ceremonies this weekend.
Hersey Excels at USA Swimming Short Course Nationals
Texas swimming signee Kathleen Hersey enjoyed a memorable meet last weekend at the 2007 USA Swimming Short Course National Championships in her hometown of Atlanta, Ga.
Hersey was victorious in the 400-yard IM, winning in 4:04.19 and threatening Summer Sanders’ American-record time of 4:02.28 set 15 years ago in Austin. Notably, Hersey’s mark would have broken Erika Hansen’s 15-year-old Texas school record by over six seconds. She topped former Olympian Kaitlin Sandeno by two seconds.
Hersey took a close second in another of her signature events, the 200-yard butterfly, in 1:53.28. That mark would have topped Kara McGrath’s 21-year-old Texas school record by well over three seconds. Hersey currently ranks sixth in the world in the 200-meter butterfly (2:07.19)
Jamison Shines at Texas Invite
Former Longhorn All-American Tanica Jamison remains in top form, as evidenced by her performance last weekend at the Texas Invitational.
Jamison (1999-2003), a nine-time All-American and four-time honorable mention All-American at Texas, claimed the 200 freestyle in 1:45.77.
Jamison’s swimming abilities served another purpose in 2006, when she appeared in the film, “The Guardian”, starring Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner. Jamison was an extra in the film’s U.S. Coast Guard rescue-swimming training scenes.
Training Trip Awaits
The Longhorns will enjoy some time off before heading to Cocoa Beach, Fla., later this month for their annual winter training trip. The excursion, which runs from Dec. 30 through Jan. 6, 2008, culminates with a relay meet in Orlando, Fla.
Wycliffe Sets New Canadian Record at Bell Grand Prix
Former Longhorn All-American Elizabeth Wycliffe (2003-06) set a new Canadian record in the 200 backstroke (short-course meters) recently at the Bell Grand Prix in Toronto, Ontario.
Wycliffe won the event in 2:07.05, topping Jennifer Fratesi’s previous national mark of 2:07.73. Wycliffe, who continues to train in Austin with Longhorn Aquatics, was among the former Longhorns competing at the Texas Invitational.
