Go Bears!



http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/natalie-coughlin-finally-makes-2012-olympic-team-top-011616346--oly.html;_ylt=ApfhovoCxdCc3bnrY4fiBdg5nYcB

Go Bears!

One of Cal's and America's all time greats.

Go Bears!

dajo9;841905412 said:

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One of Cal's and America's all time greats.

Go Bears!

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^^^
Go Bears!

Go Bears!

Gutsy race old girl!

Gutsy race. Also, her comments afterwards are the definition of class. Natalie is someone that is very easy to admire and impossible not to like. I have always enjoyed my contact with her and am interested in what her next career moves will be.

Btw, Pelton (who is third going into the 200 back final) is a soon-to-be Bear as well. Teri is scooping up the best swimmers with a seine net.

Congrats to her! In fact, kudos to all Cal swimmers competing in the Olympic trials:

25 Women- 9 alumni, 10 students and 6 incoming freshman

35 men - 10 alumni, 19 students and 6 incoming freshman

GO BEARS!

Nice video clip of a post-race interview (second of three segments on this link):

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/player/soly/Olympics_News/29849441#soly/Olympics_News/29849441

Natalie!

Congrats to all Cal, and about to be Cal, swimmers.

liverflukes;841905496 said:

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Congrats to her! In fact, kudos to all Cal swimmers competing in the Olympic trials:

25 Women- 9 alumni, 10 students and 6 incoming freshman

35 men - 10 alumni, 19 students and 6 incoming freshman

GO BEARS!

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60? That's pretty amazing. Any other school with more?

I would also like to add CONGRATS to Anthony Ervin, (gold medalist in the 50m Free in 2000 Sydney).

Anthony got 2nd in the 50 during the Olympic Trials by 0.01 seconds and has the 3rd fastest time in the event this year.

Great guy and former roommate of mine. Good luck in London.

dupdadee;841905705 said:

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60? That's pretty amazing. Any other school with more?

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That's a great question and I would doubt it but I leave that answer up to the swimming bears on this site. I do know that the Cal Womens' team coach has agreed not to pursue the most highly sought after recruit this year (for awhile at least) because she doesn't feel it would be ethical given she is now the same recruit's Olympic coach:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/sports/2012/06/25/cal-coach-olympic-coach-teri-mckeever-recruit-franklin-team/21736/

This leaves the door open for SC, Texas, Georgia and Furd to agressively recruit her during this same time window. :headbang

FingeroftheBear;841905892 said:

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Nice find liver. Cal is still in the running, TK is simply not going recruit until the Olympics are over. Frankly I'd say Cal's still in the driver's seat. Back-to-back NCAAs and HC of the women's Olympic team says something, even to a phenom.

If nothing else being coached and around Teri Mc will be its own recruiting, something Furd $C and the likes can't match. Add in all the other Cal swimmers at the Olympic (hello..Natalie Coughlin) and I think we stand as good of a chance as any.

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I wouldn't worry about some kind of advantage the other schools may have because Teri is putting aside her recruiting cap during the Oympics.

If there was ever an opportunity for a recruit to truly get to know what their potential HC is really like and what kind of dynamic she may experience on the team, this is it.

Teri is the women's HC and several of the USA swimmers are Cal alum, students, or incoming freshmen (not to mention many who are swimming for other countries). By the time the Olympics are over, I think Missy will know with near certainty if Teri, her style, and the way she relates to her swimmers is really the right place or not.

My daughter, who is an avid swimmer, did say Missy specifically thanked all the HC's for putting their recruiting pretty much on hold during this period to give her time to focus on training for the Olympics. She also said she saw one live camera shot after a race where Missy was with a group of ex, current and Cal swimmers in a group hug.

Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot of that in the next several years as she and her Cal teammates are celebrating more NCAA Championships!

In fact, any coach who tries to recruit between now and the end of the Olympics is likely to have it backfire. Teri has already signed Bootsma and Pelton among others, and IF Missy goes to college and IF she signs w/ Cal, we will have an unbelievable powerhouse. Teri is not only a great recruiter, but a great coach (Dana Vollmer was all set to quit swimming when she injured herself at Florida, but came to Cal to work w/Teri and she's now in 3 Olympic events and the favorite for gold in the 100 fly), something that will do its own recruiting.