University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA Women's Championships Day 3 Quotes
3/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
2007 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
QUOTES
Saturday, March 10
Hayley Peirsol, 1650 Freestyle Champion, Auburn
On her swim:
“We have put in the work this year. We have worked hard and NCAAs is just the fun part. This is where all of the work pays off.”
On defending her title:
“It’s great. I wanted to go out with a bang. We have World Champs coming up. I leave on Tuesday. During the whole race, I was just thinking suck it up for a little over 15 minutes. This is the last one.”
Have you been thinking about late assistant coach Ralph Crocker:
“Obviously only positive thoughts. We get emotional in a good way. He is probably so proud.”
On the team race and the impact of Auburn’s 1650 swimmers in the prelims:
“The distance swimmers that swim at night, we are never allowed to swim at prelims. We are in the team room looking on the computer hitting refresh, refresh, refresh. Our coaches are telling us to get rest. They had an amazing morning. It always gets us fired up to swim at night. They get after it. We are always very strong in the last day. They got the ball rolling and we just wanted to keep the momentum going.”
Gemma Spofforth, 200 Backstroke Champion, Florida
On being out of swimming for a year before coming to Florida:
“It is pretty amazing. I did have a whole year out because I was sick and everything was just going wrong. This year has been amazing and the whole team atmosphere at Florida is amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
On her first NCAA title:
“Coming into the event it didn’t mean as much to me as it did for all the Americans because I did not grow up with NCAAs. I didn’t know anything about it. I think it is just a fun event and obviously Florida doing well is amazing.”
Rebecca Soni, 200 Breaststroke Champion, Southern California
On defending her title:
“It feels really great. I was really hoping to get a second year and hopefully next year we will come back strong again.
On USC’s fifth breaststroke title:
“I know we have a really strong breaststroke program right now and I just hope we can get stronger with each year.”
Co-Head Coach David Marsh, Auburn
On the relay’s teams in prelims:
“Our relay’s were utterly amazing this morning. Every one of our girls moved on to second swims, except the one we had disqualified. We make a goal of that and to actually accomplish that is phenomenal. I think what it was, was a reflection of the year and Dorsey Tierney-Walker, our co-head women’s coach prepared their training program. They knew it would be toughest the last day and came out and had no doubt that we would have our best day this last morning and that set everything up.”
On the meaning of RHOP:
“RHOP is Ralph’s House of Pain, which is his training group, He’s a distance coach and he proposed that we really win this championship through the distance events, which is what we were going for. I talked to Ralph’s wife today and her comment was that she knows Ralph is shining down on this championship. He is the fabric of this team and the fabric of the university.”
Jessica Livingston, Platform Diving Champion, Texas
On winning the NCAA title:
“It was a really exciting event. I am so excited. It makes it a much bigger deal winning this at the place you used to live. It made it a lot more special for me.”
On winning the closest platform contest in NCAA history:
“It made me very nervous. I knew that it had to be a good dive but not how good it had to be. I just apparently cut it as close as I possibly could.”
Kara Lynn Joyce, 100 Freestyle Champion, Georgia
On her career:
“It’s been a great four years. I couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else. I have accomplished things I never would have expected. I am sad it’s over. I am going to be training at Georgia with those girls and supporting them for the next couple of years.”
On coming close to setting the all-time NCAA championships record:
“It means a lot. Jenny is am amazing person and it’s great to be up there with all those great names. It’s okay that I didn’t get it. It’s all right with me.”
Elaine Breeden, 200 Butterfly Champion, Stanford
On the race:
“I knew it was going be a fast swim tonight, because of the competition I was with and the people swimming around me tonight. I felt good all year, but this was a very tough race and I was excited to win it.”
On the competition in the race:
“It was just a couple hundredths off my best time. I swam that one at Pac-10s and racing Dan Vollmer is what pushed me to go faster, and I had Whitney Myers over in the far lane. Without the competition there is no way I would have been able to go that fast.”
On how the race played out:
“It was harder then I expected. I was trying to take out relaxed, finish out strong and be able to race people at the end. I was a little more tired then I was expecting, but overall I was pretty happy with my performance.”
400 Freestyle Relay Champions, California
Senior Erin Reilly
“It is my last race and a great way to finish, and I knew these girls could do it. It is an awesome way to finish and we are just thrilled with the result.”
Junior Emily Silver
“I am just really proud to be part of this team and representing Cal. Training all year and getting to represent the program and have a great race like this is what it comes down to. It felt great to have a performance like this.”
Sophomore Dana Vollmer
“That was a great way for us to finish the meet. It is amazing getting to race with these girls and anchoring the relay knowing I was going to dive into the pool in a great position help us break the record.”
Sophomore Jessica Hardy
“I am just really excited that we broke the American record. It was one of our goals to break this record. I am just really proud of our team stepping it up and competing at such a high level tonight.”
QUOTES
Saturday, March 10
Hayley Peirsol, 1650 Freestyle Champion, Auburn
On her swim:
“We have put in the work this year. We have worked hard and NCAAs is just the fun part. This is where all of the work pays off.”
On defending her title:
“It’s great. I wanted to go out with a bang. We have World Champs coming up. I leave on Tuesday. During the whole race, I was just thinking suck it up for a little over 15 minutes. This is the last one.”
Have you been thinking about late assistant coach Ralph Crocker:
“Obviously only positive thoughts. We get emotional in a good way. He is probably so proud.”
On the team race and the impact of Auburn’s 1650 swimmers in the prelims:
“The distance swimmers that swim at night, we are never allowed to swim at prelims. We are in the team room looking on the computer hitting refresh, refresh, refresh. Our coaches are telling us to get rest. They had an amazing morning. It always gets us fired up to swim at night. They get after it. We are always very strong in the last day. They got the ball rolling and we just wanted to keep the momentum going.”
Gemma Spofforth, 200 Backstroke Champion, Florida
On being out of swimming for a year before coming to Florida:
“It is pretty amazing. I did have a whole year out because I was sick and everything was just going wrong. This year has been amazing and the whole team atmosphere at Florida is amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
On her first NCAA title:
“Coming into the event it didn’t mean as much to me as it did for all the Americans because I did not grow up with NCAAs. I didn’t know anything about it. I think it is just a fun event and obviously Florida doing well is amazing.”
Rebecca Soni, 200 Breaststroke Champion, Southern California
On defending her title:
“It feels really great. I was really hoping to get a second year and hopefully next year we will come back strong again.
On USC’s fifth breaststroke title:
“I know we have a really strong breaststroke program right now and I just hope we can get stronger with each year.”
Co-Head Coach David Marsh, Auburn
On the relay’s teams in prelims:
“Our relay’s were utterly amazing this morning. Every one of our girls moved on to second swims, except the one we had disqualified. We make a goal of that and to actually accomplish that is phenomenal. I think what it was, was a reflection of the year and Dorsey Tierney-Walker, our co-head women’s coach prepared their training program. They knew it would be toughest the last day and came out and had no doubt that we would have our best day this last morning and that set everything up.”
On the meaning of RHOP:
“RHOP is Ralph’s House of Pain, which is his training group, He’s a distance coach and he proposed that we really win this championship through the distance events, which is what we were going for. I talked to Ralph’s wife today and her comment was that she knows Ralph is shining down on this championship. He is the fabric of this team and the fabric of the university.”
Jessica Livingston, Platform Diving Champion, Texas
On winning the NCAA title:
“It was a really exciting event. I am so excited. It makes it a much bigger deal winning this at the place you used to live. It made it a lot more special for me.”
On winning the closest platform contest in NCAA history:
“It made me very nervous. I knew that it had to be a good dive but not how good it had to be. I just apparently cut it as close as I possibly could.”
Kara Lynn Joyce, 100 Freestyle Champion, Georgia
On her career:
“It’s been a great four years. I couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else. I have accomplished things I never would have expected. I am sad it’s over. I am going to be training at Georgia with those girls and supporting them for the next couple of years.”
On coming close to setting the all-time NCAA championships record:
“It means a lot. Jenny is am amazing person and it’s great to be up there with all those great names. It’s okay that I didn’t get it. It’s all right with me.”
Elaine Breeden, 200 Butterfly Champion, Stanford
On the race:
“I knew it was going be a fast swim tonight, because of the competition I was with and the people swimming around me tonight. I felt good all year, but this was a very tough race and I was excited to win it.”
On the competition in the race:
“It was just a couple hundredths off my best time. I swam that one at Pac-10s and racing Dan Vollmer is what pushed me to go faster, and I had Whitney Myers over in the far lane. Without the competition there is no way I would have been able to go that fast.”
On how the race played out:
“It was harder then I expected. I was trying to take out relaxed, finish out strong and be able to race people at the end. I was a little more tired then I was expecting, but overall I was pretty happy with my performance.”
400 Freestyle Relay Champions, California
Senior Erin Reilly
“It is my last race and a great way to finish, and I knew these girls could do it. It is an awesome way to finish and we are just thrilled with the result.”
Junior Emily Silver
“I am just really proud to be part of this team and representing Cal. Training all year and getting to represent the program and have a great race like this is what it comes down to. It felt great to have a performance like this.”
Sophomore Dana Vollmer
“That was a great way for us to finish the meet. It is amazing getting to race with these girls and anchoring the relay knowing I was going to dive into the pool in a great position help us break the record.”
Sophomore Jessica Hardy
“I am just really excited that we broke the American record. It was one of our goals to break this record. I am just really proud of our team stepping it up and competing at such a high level tonight.”
Elna Widerstrom: NCAA Bronze Medalist
Thursday, March 26
Elna Widerstrom Wins B1G 1M Title
Thursday, February 26
Vivi Del Angel Wins B1G Platform Title
Thursday, February 26
Vivi Del Angel BTN Interview
Thursday, February 26