University of Minnesota Athletics
Tyler Named Team's Most Valuable Swimmer at Annual Banquet
4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Jillian Tyler highlighted this year's University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving banquet when she was named the team's most valuable swimmer of the 2007-08 season. Tyler assisted the Gophers to a Big Ten Conference championship and a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in March.
Tyler had a phenomenal rookie year with the Golden Gophers. Named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Tyler earned two individual event championships in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as well as earning an event win with the 400 medley relay. On the national level, Tyler was a four-time All-American this year in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 and 400 medley relays. Tyler's time of 59.87 in the 100 breast was second at the NCAA Championships, making her the national runner-up in the event. She set school records in the 100 breast (59.80), the 200 breast (2:10.18), the 200 medley relay (1:39.73) and the 400 medley relay (3:34.16). Tyler accomplished all of this without tapering to prepare for the Olympic Trials. This month, Tyler elevated herself into the international stage as she became a member of the Canadian Olympic Team. Tyler finished second in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke events. She qualified for the Olympic team in the 100 breast when she touched the wall in a time of 1:08.54.
This season, there was a three-way tie for the team's hardest worker in Stacy Busack, Kait Strickland and Jenny Shaughnessy. Busack competed in seven events at the NCAA Championships: 50 free, 100 free, the 200 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay. At NCAAs, Busack was a four-time All-American in the 200 and 400 free relays and the 200 and 400 medley relays. At the league championship, Busack finished first with the 400 medley relay (Big Ten champions), second overall in the 100 free and 3rd in the 50 free. Shaughnessy earned first-team All-Big Ten honors when she won the 400 IM and was a member of the three-time event champion 800 free relay. Shaughnessy also placed third in the 200 IM and sixth in the 200 back. At the national level, Shaughnessy earned three All-America accolades in the 400 free relay, 400 IM, 800 free relay. Strickland competed in her first NCAA Championships this season and contested in the 200 IM, 400 IM and the 200 breast. She placed sixth in the 400 IM and the 200 breaststroke at Big Tens and eighth in the 200 IM.
The most improved went to Castina Wabeke and Meagan Radecke. Wabeke set the school record in the 200 back this season when she clocked a time of 1:57.37 and won the consolation finals at the Big Ten Championships. Wabeke made her first appearance at the NCAA Championships this season, competing in the 200 and 100 back. Radecke competed in her first Big Ten Championships of her short career. Radecke competed in the 200 free, the 100 free and the 50 free.
Jacqueline Schroeder was named the team's diver of the year. At the Big Ten Championships, Schroeder competed in all three events and placed eighth overall on the platform with a prelim score of 253.20 and a finals score of 239.70. At the NCAA Diving Zones, Schroeder led the Gophers with an 11th-place finish on both the platform and the 3-meter and a 19th-place showing on the 1-meter. She was also named the Big Ten Diver of the Week when she led the Gophers at the Minnesota Diving Invite.
Christine Jennings was honored with the Dorothy L. Sheppard Award. The award is given to the swimmer who best demonstrates her qualities of being a life long learner: learning things because they just want to know, values travel and getting to know those who live were you travel and simply enjoys the journey of life. The award was given to Jennings by the swimming and diving coaching staff.
Along with the team awards, the program recognized the outstanding student-athletes, which were member of the swimming and diving team that had grade point averages of 3.5 or higher. The list included Molly Belk, Megan Braun, Katie Budahl, Busack, Lisa Clementi, Taylor Enerson, Erin Forster, Amy Funk, Stephanie Gross, Andrea Hanson, Erin Holtmeyer, Corina Hopkins-Vacca, Kaylee Jamison, Jennings, Yuen Kobayashi, Meredith McCarthy, Avery Michienzi, Hillary Provo, Danielle Ridder, Shaughnessy, Strickland and Laura Wilcox.
Players Mentioned
