University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA Women's Championships Day 2 Quotes
3/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Friday, March 9
Lara Jackson, member of 200 Yard Medley Relay Champions, Arizona
How does it feel coming out and getting the American record coming out of the shoot for the second night in a row:
“Obviously it is pretty exciting. Coming into this meet, I did not expect this at all. It’s not that I didn’t think we were capable, just coming here last year and not even swimming in the finals. It’s just really fun I would say to come in and actually contribute to the team and break some American records, that’s pretty awesome.
How important is it to start off the second night, which is pretty important and get this big win:
“I think it gets everyone really pumped on the team to start the night off with a win. Everyone rallies together pretty well. We have some pretty good seeds tonight so hopefully they can feed off that energy and swim fantastic”
You guys swam very well last night to start and off to a great start tonight. Is this team swimming as well as it possible can at this point in the meet?
“Of course people have the ‘what ifs’ but life is not like that. Everyone is definitely stepping it up and doing an amazing job. We are banning together and feeding off of each other. This team is doing stuff that just blows my mind”
Ava Ohlgren , 400 IM Champion, Auburn
Are you happy with that time?
“I really did not know what to expect tonight because I have not swam that in a long time. I am just really happy with the outcome. I just went out there and swam my race.”
What about the points that you scored to get back in the team lead:
“That helped out a lot, it was really what we needed. Our coaches were just telling us to get out there, get your personal best times and just do what you can, and that’s what I did”
What do you think about Princeton’s Alicia Aemisegger hanging with you the entire race?
“Alicia and I swim against each other all of the time. We are always like that swimming. It’s really fun; it is great to have competition like that. She makes swimming exciting and fun.”
This is your first year on the team with coach Marshall and his last season coaching. How important is it for to contribute to your first season, how do you do your best to finish out season?
“It is really important to keep Dave Marshall going out on a big bang. He has been there for us all year, it has been really great to contribute as much as I have.”
Dana Vollmer, 100 Butterfly Champion, California
Did you ever believe that a year before you just decided to transfer to Cal that you would wind-up being a national titlist?
“I had hopes, it was definitely a rough year last year. I have made a lot of changes and come along way. It definitely paid off.”
I believe that is a lifetime-best for you, how do you feel about that swim:
“Definitely my lifetime-best, I don’t even know what to say about it. I am just amazed. I am glad to be at Cal. It was an amazing swim and I am pumped.”
How does it feel to return that title back to California after Natalie Coughlin held it for a couple of years then Georgia decided to take it for a couple of years:
“I love to bring it back to Cal. It’s nice having Natalie on our team and as a part of the coaching staff and being there for us. She has defiantly inspired me and her team effort is most definitely in the back of my mind.
Jessica Hardy, 100 Breaststroke Champion, California
On the team race:
“It’s good, it’s exciting for me to know that I had a contribution to helping Cal fight for the top three against our rival Stanford, which is even more fun. I am also very happy win my favorite title in that event.”
How exciting was it for you and Dana both to win the title tonight:
“It was really fun. We are the same year. We are very close friends. We have so much in common we both feed off each other. Breaststroke is usually before fly so I help inspire her and she does before me. I just have a lot of fun watching her swim”
Rachel Goh, 100 Backstroke Champion, Auburn
How do you feel about defending your title?
“It was really exciting for me because it was a different perspective again considering last year. Of course I wanted to defend my title. It was a little bit of a struggle the first day of the meet but I just got back in there and get into my race a little more what I knew I could do, so it was exciting for me.”
Heading into the last day, are you guys paying attention to the points or not?
“There is some point where you look at the points in the back of your mind but that is not the main focus. You want every on our team to do their best and get their best times. In the end the results will take care of themselves. We are aware but that is not the main thing we do day-to-day.”
Cassidy, Krug, 3m Diving Champion, Stanford
Tonight adding to your title from last night could you describe that a little bit:
“This has been one of the best weeks of my life. These four years at Stanford have been the best four years of my life. The performance tonight was awesome. This whole experience has been amazing."
Did you expect to win coming in, did you expect to win not only last night but both wins?
“I wanted to win. I came here and I knew I was a good enough diver and that if I hit it I could do it. I don’t think you can ever come in expect to run away with it because there is great competition here, but I came in wanting it.”
You really distanced yourself from the rest of the pack tonight, the winning margin was a great significance, just separating yourself away from the rest of the pack, can you exlain on that?
“It felt great. All year my coach has talked to me about getting into a zone and I really did tonight. Every dive felt awesome. You add that together and that’s where the margin came from.”
Arizona Coach Frank Busch
How do you feel after the second day being in a pretty hefty lead and heading into the third day:
“I don’t think we are in a hefty lead. This is a battle. I am happy we are still in front.”
What do you think about Hailey Degolia coming out and just getting a lot of points coming out of no where:
“I am not so sure I can explain that. Right from the start of the meet her confidence just shot through the roof. Obviously, this is a great breakout meet for her, being that she is only a sophomore”
What are you looking forward for your team tomorrow:
“We better have a great morning. We just need to have a great morning, otherwise we can’t hold on to the lead.”
They were very excited tonight when several of them came to talk with us afterwards, you could just see how excited they were, is that where you want them, their emotions high?
“I want them focused. I want them to be in the moment of this meet. Excitement is a natural thing and it’s an awesome thing. You want there to be a happy medium - you want them to be excited and you want that excitement to role into the next opportunity.”
