University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Will Send 15 the NCAA Championships
3/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
The University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving have a school-record 15 swimmers headed to the NCAA Championships, March 19-21 in College Station, Texas. The Golden Gophers have the largest contingent in the Big Ten (not including diving) going to the championships. Indiana had 13 swimmers qualify, while Michigan and Penn State are sending six to the national championships.
Making the NCAA field for Minnesota is Megan Braun, Stacy Busack, Alison Eggers, Kaylee Jamison, Christine Jennings, Yuen Kobayashi, Jenna Lennertz, Meredith McCarthy, Meagan Radecke, Jenny Shaughnessy, Ashley Steenvoorden, Kristen Steenvoorden, Jillian Tyler, Castina Wabeke and Hannah Whitehead. Making their fourth-straight trek to the NCAA is Busack, Jennings, Kobayashi, McCarthy and Shaughnessy. Making their second appearance at the NCAA Championships is Braun, Tyler and Wabeke, while the Gophers have seven entering their first NCAA championships (Eggers, Jamison, Lennertz, Radecke, Steenvoorden, Steenvoorden and Whitehead). Of the seven, four are freshmen (Lennertz, Steenvoorden, Steenvoorden and Whitehead).
Along with the participants, the psych sheets are also out for NCAAs. The Gophers are ranked high in some of the events, including second in the country. Jillian Tyler will enter the championship with the second-fastest time in the 100 breast and third in the 200 breast. In the 100, only U.S. Olympian Rebecca Soni has a faster time than her, at a 58.10. Ashley Steenvoorden holds the nation's second-fastest time in the 1,650 free. Georgia's Wendy Trott was the only swimmer in the country to earn an automatic qualifying time in the 1,650 in 15:51.41.
Players Mentioned
