Just looking at it with blue and gold lenses rather than red, white, and blue.
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Wouldn't want it another way from the perspective of a loyal :bear:!!! :beer:
Hey just imagine what Teri had to deal with when she donned the US Head Coach hat in London (not to mention assistant coach for the Athens & Beijing Games), looking out for the interests of the entirety of Team USA while juggling this with taking care of the specific needs of her Cal Olympian charges at the same time...not exactly a straightforward or easy undertaking! [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
BearDevil;842510674 said:
You never know who's going to peak or plateau when, so it's great to keep an eye on promising high school freshmen and sophomores, but wait as long as possible to make offers. KV peaked early and is struggling to get back. KM's making a move now. Had she been swimming at this level earlier, she would have deferred for sure. Pretty sure Abbey makes a relay with either Teri or Canyons. Will be a bummer for all involved if she defers and isn't more than "just" a relay swimmer.
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Much respect goes out to McKeever for spotting all this talent early on, and adjusting accordingly as well as nurturing when things don't quite go according to plans.
Alright the Dream Team was already amongst the very cream of the crop during recruiting season last year, but it wasn't until last winter thru today that Abbey (World & American records @ Short Course Worlds + AR in SCY), Kathleen (breaking the minute barrier in the 100m backstroke) & Katie (NAG in the 100m fly, dropping tons of time off her 200m fly & free) really elevated themselves to an entirely different elite level well ahead of schedule. Amy was also showing signs of making a move at the Indiana State Champs back in Feb until her micro-fracture injury put a hopefully temporary halt to her amazing progression. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Almost exactly a year sgo, tedbear correctly predicted the Dream Team. Incredibly prescient. Teri pretty much threads the needle every year since there are less than a dozen recruits who can help Bears immediately, do well academically, and fit in with the team. She only missed on Eastin last year, who would have been her fifth choice.
As difficult as it is to land elite recruits who fit, it's even harder to find, predict, and develop lower tier recruits. Farida, Piehl, Bing, and Acker weren't obvious college stars. Injuries are going to happen, swimmers plateau, and some people don't fit. Huge payoff if Hull, Maija, Campbell, or Ladd become NCAA scores individually or on relays.
Almost exactly a year sgo, tedbear correctly predicted the Dream Team. Incredibly prescient.
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Hear hear, all hail the great tedbear :acclaim: Here's hoping that his 2016 edition of the [U]Dream Team[/U] will be equally spot on! :cheer
Though BD you're being too modest here as you had championed Amy early on in this thread before Swimswam had published their highly respected "Top 20" list July of last year, when she was ranked at "just" #16 by collegeswimming at that time...
I was all for Kathleen at the time, but no rocket science or seership required in my particular case since Kathleen was already sitting at CS' #2 spot lol [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Hear hear, all hail the great tedbear :acclaim: Here's hoping that his 2016 edition of the [U]Dream Team[/U] will be equally spot on! :cheer
Though BD you're being too modest here as you had championed Amy early on in this thread before Swimswam had published their highly respected "Top 20" list July of last year, when she was ranked at "just" #16 by collegeswimming at that time...
I was all for Kathleen at the time, but no rocket science or seership required in my particular case since Kathleen was already sitting at CS' #2 spot lol [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Ahhh, thanks UAC and Beardevil, but the praise is completely undeserved. Hahaha! Just because I know what I want doesn't mean we will always get them all. :p To test how lucky or good that I am, I will try to predict this years recruits once the swimswam rankings come out. I think you know who at least two and a half of them are, but I'm having trouble deciding on a full scholly fourth. No matter what, it's all fun. In Teri We Trust!
I'm stuck at 3+: Abbey, Drabot, Adams, and Marsh. Would like Mann, but she's not coming. Byrnes or Voss for distance and Devine as a local. Marsh gets around 0.35 and Devine gets around 0.25.
Oh, I still consider Abbey as part of Dream Team 2015, even though she won't be here until next year. My two and a half are Drabot (Amy and Kathleen), Adams (Amy), and Marsh (Kathleen and Maija), so same as you BD. And yes, both Byrnes and Voss are my almost there candidates.
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]U.S. National Team Swimmer [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U] Leads NISCA Academic All-America Squad[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#808080"]USA Swimming National Team member Katie McLaughlin excels in both the classroom and the pool. Archive Photo via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography[/COLOR]
The National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches’ Association (NISCA) has released their 2014-2015 high school Academic All-America and Scholar Team rankings.
To earn this honor individually, athletes must hold at least a 3.750 GPA on a 4-point scale, or 93.75% on the grade scale used by their school.
The women’s All-America Team is even more impressive, with two members of our high school class of 2015 top 20 recruits also earning high scholastic honors. #4 recruit and [U]Cal commit[/U] Katie McLaughlin made the list, as did #12 Sonia Wang, who is heading to Harvard.
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Ranking the 2015 Women’s NCAA Recruiting Classes: #1-4[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Katie McLaughlin and Kathleen Baker are two of many reasons why the [U]Cal Bears class[/U] sits at the top. [SIZE=1][COLOR="#808080"]Archive Photo via Katie McLaughlin[/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR]
After much anticipation (and delay), here are SwimSwam’s top four [U]2015 Women’s NCAA recruiting classes[/U]. While the case could be made for Stanford to be in the top four, these classes are a cut above the rest, particularly the top three, which all come from the most dominant conference in swimming.
It’s been a pretty long road back for the Longhorn women, but Carol Capitani nailed another recruiting class, including two of our top 10 recruits from last fall. With last year’s freshmen (Mimi Schneider, Rebecca Millard), this group, and two more years of Madison Cox, Texas is on the upswing.
[SIZE=3]#3: [U]Arizona Wildcats[/U][/SIZE]
Top-Tier Additions: #8 Taylor Garcia, #13 Katrina Konopka, #17 Daniela Georges, Annie Ochitwa, Sam Senczyszyn, Ashley Sutherland The rest: Emma McCarthy, Karli Thuen, McKenzie Rumrill, Sam Shimomura, Ali Powell
This is the class the Wildcats needed to turn things around; Arizona’s roster had become increasingly thin, going from finishing in the top five routinely to piece-mealing relays and barely cracking the top 15 last season. Granted, those results shouldn’t be put on Rick DeMont; the cupboards were pretty bare when he took over a little more than a year ago. In his first full recruiting class, DeMont hit it big: eleven athletes, including three top-20 recruits, an additional two 22.6/49.5 freestylers, and a 1:00.7/2:15.0 breaststroker.
[SIZE=3]#2: [U]USC Trojans[/U][/SIZE]
Top-Tier Additions: #14 Riley Scott, #18 Sydney Lofquist, #20 Madison Wright, Anika Apostalon (transfer), Allie Wooden, Hanni Leach, Kirsten Vose, Tamara Santoyo, Victoria Toris The rest: Destiny Nelson, Elizabeth Stinson, Katie Christy
Like their Pac 12 rivals in Tuscon, USC loaded up their roster with this class: twelve swimmers, including three in the SwimSwam top 20, along with the #1 transfer (Anika Apostalon). So many names to highlight to give everyone their own paragraph... The addition of Apostalon pushed this class up at least two spots.
Not included: #2 [COLOR="#FFA500"]Abbey Weitzeil[/COLOR] (deferral)
Where to start? Even with the deferral of Weitzeil (who would have been the top recruit in virtually every other recruiting class in history), the Bears are an unquestionable #1. The Bears have come away with three of the top four recruits entering college this fall, along with the second-best transfer and a key diver.
We could begin with Kathleen Baker, a 2014 Pan Pac team member who is probably the most versatile prep swimmer since Tracy Caulkins (22.6/48.2/1:43.6 freestyler, 24.4/51.5/1:54.3 backstroker, 59.4/2:11.2 breaststroker, 52.7 butterflyer, 1:54.5/4:11.4 IMer). Or NAG / High School / World Junior record-holding butterfly Katie McLaughlin (51.5/1:54.2 flyer, 22.6/48.3/1:43.0 freestyler). Or short course World Champion Amy Bilquist (22.1/48.3/1:45.0 freestyler, plus 52.2 backstroker). Or even Auburn transfer Valerie Hull (22.2/48.9 sprint freestyles).
We haven’t even mentioned Jennifer Campbell, a very good 200/500 freestyler (1:46.3/4:45.8), who would have a spot on almost every school’s 800 free relay, or U.S. National Finalist Phoebe Lamay, who gives the Bears an immediate threat on the diving boards. Like Missy Franklin’s class from two years ago, this is one of the fastest, most decorated on-paper classes we’ve seen (even without Weitzeil). Teri McKeever has all-freshman 400 and 800 free relays that could go 3:12 and 6:57, along with the pieces for a 3:30 400 medley. With Weitzeil, they’re probably at 3:10, 6:55, and 3:28. That’s a whole new level of crazy.
Franklin and some other key swimmers are gone, but with one more year of Elizabeth Pelton and Rachel Bootsma along with this class, look for the Bears to make a historical run next season. [/COLOR]
Reading between the lines, there may really have been smoke about Katie deferring. Why else would SwimSwam delay publication unless it was to rejigger the order of the final four? 'SC would have been top ranked without KM and Abbey.
Hopefully that's a done deal. UAC-are there any shots of Abbey with the Bears at WUGs? Seemed odd to see all of them with two 'furdettes, but no Abbey?!?
Still a long shot, but think Beata Nelson might still be in the mix. No room for her in the same class with KM, but maybe if Bears don't get Drabot or Adams. Seemed really strange that Wisconsin just added an asst last week. Thought they'd be fully staffed in a year when Wisconsin has two top five recruits. UVa men went goose egg last year on similar in state talent levels and is also a program with some issues. Durden was perfectly happy to pick up Seliskar and Teri would be fine with Drabot and/or Beata.
Reading between the lines, there may really have been smoke about Katie deferring. Why else would SwimSwam delay publication unless it was to rejigger the order of the final four? 'SC would have been top ranked without KM and Abbey.
Hopefully that's a done deal. UAC-are there any shots of Abbey with the Bears at WUGs? Seemed odd to see all of them with two 'furdettes, but no Abbey?!?
[COLOR="#3333ff"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Nothing that I've come across that's been posted in the public domain thus far...
But always a hopeful chance that a group shot of all our :bear:s together will surface before the meet's over, in the vein of these two very luvly photos from 2014 Short Course Worlds & Golden Goggles:
Wouldn't lose too much sleep over this or read too much into it TBH... (Oh btw as uber-intense as the long-standing rivalry is between our 2 Bay Area institutions, imo it's also great to see the close & supportive relationships shared amongst these young women outside of the pool imo)
Don't know Abbey personally but she does come off to me at any rate as being possibly more down-to-business and goal-oriented (which may be an altogether invaluable & desirable trait when it comes to winning NCAA titles or making the Olympic podium...not to imply that Abbey isn't a team player at all since her best times have tended to come from helping her teammates out in relays!) than, say, KM who projects a bit more of a relationship-oriented public image in comparison? (Disclaimer: just idle speculation that's not based in any facts - I could be completely off here mind you lol)
Abbey has shown in her way thru her social media interaction that Cal does seem to mean a lot to her even with this deferment, so I wouldn't worry too much...unless she really blows up so much at Rio that the pressure to turn pro straightaways afterwards becomes too great to ignore haha (which if that happens we should all be very happy for her there and wish her the best even if that would crush our current "Dream Team 2015" fantasy completely :p)
I think there has been many, perhaps even a majority of, swim fans who were assuming KM would follow in Ledecky & Abbey's footsteps, esp after that posting on the bootleg board, so it's with a very warm & fuzzy sense of appreciative relief on my part to see that apparently KM will be donning her :bear: uniform this coming semester! Would have made (some) sense for our besties Katie & Kathleen to have both chosen the deferment route in order to focus exclusively on prepping for the Olympics free of the distractions of NCAAs and the collegiate classroom, that's how great the promise that the two of them hold in the elite long course arena... [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Not overly worried about Abbey, just curious. Even less worried that she goes pro. She'd have to win multiple individual golds plus add a could of relay medals. That's close to Allison Schmitt accomplished and she still swam as a college senior post-Olympics. Schmitt, Manuel, and Abbey are all terrific, but they aren't as marketable as Missy or even Ledecky. Think it's possible that Abbey, KM, or Baker don't swim all four years, but only if they win individual medals in 2016. If not, they're 4 year swimmers although Abbey could conceivably blueshift in 2020 depending on her training arc at that point.
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]17 May[/COLOR] "Work hard & have patience. Because no matter who you are, you're going to get hurt and you have to be patient to get through the injuries."
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Star Sprinter Amy Bilquist Forced To Sit Out Of Charlotte Due To Injury[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]8 July 2015[/COLOR] "Did my first flip turn since April today... Baby steps [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]"
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Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]9 July 2015[/COLOR] Happy Birthday [COLOR="#0099ff"]@KatieMcLaugh1in[/COLOR] hope your day is as great as you can't wait to be with ya in a few weeks! [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#0099ff"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE] [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: @amybilquist thank you!! Ilyy [SIZE=4][COLOR="#0099ff"]����[COLOR="#FFD700"]����[/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]
Madi Hurst - [COLOR="#696969"]9 July 2015[/COLOR] Happy Birthday to my future roomie! Can't wait to spend next year with you [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[COLOR="#0099ff"]��[COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="#0099ff"]@KatieMcLaugh1in[/COLOR] [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: [COLOR="#0099ff"]@madi_hurst[/COLOR] thank you!! Haha woo!! I'm so excited!! [SIZE=4][COLOR="#0099ff"]������[/COLOR][/SIZE]
Brynne Wong - [COLOR="#696969"]9 July 2015[/COLOR] happy birthday to my dear friend who I only really get to see about once or twice a year!!! miss you love!! [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FF0000"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE] [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: [COLOR="#0099ff"]@brynnewong[/COLOR] hahaha this pic!! Lol love you so much brynne! Miss you too [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]����[/COLOR][/SIZE]
Leah Smith - [COLOR="#696969"]9 July 2015[/COLOR] happy birthday to my favorite person ever @KatieMcLaugh1in!!!! I love you so much #golden #wingwoman [SIZE=4]��������[/SIZE] [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: @lgsmith19 aw Leo this is presh!! Love you! Let's get some chicken wings soon! [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]9 July 2015[/COLOR] Happy Birthday to the Baby to my Bear. Can't wait to take on Cal next year! Cheers to 18 and the next 4 years of sparkles and world travel [SIZE=4]✨✨✨[/SIZE] #ily [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: AWWW! Love this! Thanks kathleen!! Can't wait to see you!! #davefranco [SIZE=4]������������[/SIZE] Also love you!!
Had assumed that Baker's 2016 program would be 200 IM, 100 breast, 200 back plus 200/400 medleys and 400/800 free relays. Bears need scorer(s) in the 400 IM and 200 breast too. 400 IM doesn't fit with the 200 medley relay, but Teri can move Kathleen around to counter any threats. Rough for Baker since her best events/international future is 100 back, 200 free, and 200 IM.
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]SwimMAC Carolina Sets NAG Record in 4100 Meter Free Relay[/SIZE][/COLOR]
At the Long Course Speedo Sectionals in Athens, GA on Friday night, the 17-18 girls from SwimMAC Carolina took down the NAG record in the 4100 meter free relay.
The team of Kathleen Baker, Alyssa Marsh, Becca Postoll, and Jessica Merritt demolished the old record with a 3:45.51.
The previous record, set by Dynamo Swim Club, was a 3:48.12 set by Caitlin Cooper, Kylie Stewart, Kathleen Cook, and Nicole Stafford.
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]15 July[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]Governors Island[/COLOR] A basic lake picture for one of the last basic lake days [U]Erika Brown[/U]: Don't leave me [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]
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Team Elite - [COLOR="#696969"]16 July[/COLOR] @WilsonsWorld is here to talk with us about the upcoming FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia with our athletes!
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[COLOR="#336699"][SIZE=5]Katie Ledecky, Grant Shoults Break 200 Free Records To Lead High School All-Americans[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Ledecky made the most of her final high school season, lowering her own national high school record in the 200 free with a 1:41.55 at the D.C. Metro Championships in February while representing Stone Ridge High School. It was a stellar swim for Ledecky, who continues to work her way to the top of the all-time standings in the event. The swim was the sixth-fastest performance in history at the time, though it has since moved down to 11th thanks to a few swims by Missy Franklin and Simone Manuel at the collegiate level.
Katie McLaughlin of Santa Margarita Catholic High School is also showing improvements in the 200 free, dropping her lifetime best to 1:43.01 for second place in the national high school rankings. Third overall was Carmel High School's [U]Claire Adams[/U] with a 1:45.09, followed by [U]Katie Drabot[/U] with a 1:45.40.
[COLOR="#336699"][SIZE=5]Ryan Hoffer, Abbey Weitzeil Sprint To Top of 50 Free High School All-Americans List[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Weitzeil continued to amaze in the 50 freestyle, and not just on the high school scene. Last December, she posted a lifetime best 21.49 leading off a relay at the USA Swimming junior nationals just a week or so after competing at the short course world championships.
She finished off her high school swimming career by lowering her own national high school record down to a 21.64 at the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section championships. Though not her best time, she established a new high school record that will be tough to beat.
[video=youtube;foucy72C_U4][/video]
No one else was able to crack 22 seconds in the 50 free, which is a major barrier to break in high school swimming. But Carmel High School in Indiana is celebrating second and third place in the national rankings. Amy Bilquist ranks second with an impressive 22.15 from the Indiana state championships, while Veronica Burchill's 22.29 stands third.
[COLOR="#336699"][SIZE=5]Girls 100 Fly National Record Battle Highlights High School All-Americans List[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Katie McLaughlin, a senior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, came into the season as the national record holder with a 51.78. [U]Beata Nelson[/U], representing Verona/Mt. Hebron Co-Op in Wisconsin, was the first record setter in the event this season at her championships in November.
Nelson kicked things off with a blazing 51.70, beating McLaughlin's record of 51.78 from May 2014. It was Nelson's first time under 52 seconds, and was also a USA Swimming national age group record.
In February at the Kentucky high school championships, Grace Oglesby of North Oldham High School threw down a 51.75 to put a scare into Nelson's new record. It also marked her first time under 52 seconds, beating her previous lifetime best of 52.14 from the prelims.
McLaughlin took to the blocks at the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section championships with the goal of getting her record back. She accomplished the goal with a 51.53, which gets her closer to Natalie Coughlin's USA Swimming national age group record of 51.18.
Those three topped the 100 fly All-American list, with a 52.43 from Acalanes High School's Brittany Ulsinger to round out the sub-53 swims of the season.
[U]Girls 100 Butterfly National Top 8[/U]
51.53 Katie McLaughlin Santa Margarita Catholic High School 51.70 Beata Nelson Verona/Mt. Hebron Co-Op 51.75 Grace Oglesby North Oldham High School 52.43 Brittany Ulsinger Acalanes High School 53.01 Cassidy Bayer West Potomac High School 53.01 Madelyn Murphy Carondelet High School 53.04 Aly Tetzloff Crown Point High School 53.05 Remedy Rule West Albemarle High School
[U]Boys 100 Butterfly National Top 8[/U]
46.00 Alex Valente Dos Pueblos High School 46.13 Andrew Seliskar Thomas Jefferson High School For Science and Technology 46.75 Xiangfei Xie Saratoga High School 47.26 Ryan Dudzinski Upper St. Clair High School 47.53 James Bretscher L&N Stem Academy 47.72 Franco Reyes Hinsdale Central High School 47.78 Liam McCloskey La Costa Canyon High School 47.80 Mark Jurek Chandler High School
[COLOR="#336699"][SIZE=5]100 Freestyle High School All-Americans Led By Abbey Weitzeil, Ryan Hoffer[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[U]Girls 100 Freestyle National Top 8[/U]
47.09 Abbey Weitzeil Saugus High School 48.36 Amy Bilquist Carmel High School 48.48 Veronica Burchill Carmel High School 48.69 Katie McLaughlin Santa Margarita Catholic High School 48.72 Lauren Pitzer Fossil Ridge High School 48.75 Caroline McTaggart Holton Arms School 49.03 Lexie Lupton Kingwood High School 49.19 Elise Haan Gulf Coast High School
[COLOR="#2F4F4F"][SIZE=5]Abbey Weitzeil 54.56 100m Free in Finals of Santa Clarita Sectionals[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Abbey Weitzeil of Canyons Aquatic Club won the women's 100 free in her home pool at CA/NV Sectionals on Thursday, July 16, 2015. Watch her take control of the race from the outset. This race is Weitzeil's last 100m free tune-up before she competes at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Weitzeil and the rest of the US World Championships Team will leave on Tuesday, July 21 for Kazan.
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]8 July 2015[/COLOR] Did my first flip turn since April today... Baby steps [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]15 July 2015[/COLOR] Tomorrow is the first time I'll be competing since March.. woah... Hopefully I still remember how to put that racing suit on
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]16 July[/COLOR] Feels good to have a race under my belt this season
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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=5]Amy Bilquist Clocks Lifetime Best 50 Free After Stress Fracture Rehab[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Amy Bilquist of Carmel threw down a lifetime best in her first meet back since being sidelined by stress fractures in March according to the Indy Star’s David Woods.
Carmel clocked a winning time of 25.03 at the Indiana LSC Senior State Championships in Bloomington, Ind.
That swim cleared her previous record of 25.04 set at the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
Bilquist had been a rising star heading into this summer after an amazing high school season for Carmel, but had to sit out the bulk of the summer taking care of some leg issues.
Anya Gonyers also had a strong swim as the 14-year-old’s second-place 25.54 puts her third all time in the 13-14 age division.
[U]Bobo Gigi[/U]: Great news to see Amy Bilquist healthy and already very competitive. PB in the 50 free in 25.03 Never expected that for her return! �� She also led-off a 4X50 medley relay in 28.75 on backstroke. Really excited for her next meet. US nationals? You can watch the sessions’ replays or the finals in live here. http://www.team1sports.com/index.php/mediaGrid/embed?uuid=e38439b3-25ac-11e5-9119-06cc41871c81 The women’s 50 free is at 1h28 in the Thursday finals video.
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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=5]Bolles, Carmel Top Exciting 200 Free Relay High School All-Americans Rankings[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Another dominating performance by Carmel High School produced a national high school record in the girls [U]200 free relay[/U], beating the rest of the nation by two boy lengths. The team of Veronica Burchill, Claire Adams, Kendall Smith and Gerturde Rothrock combined for an incredible 1:30.72. Putting the time into perspective, the team was unable to use star sprinter Amy Bilquist, but the squad was able to lower the previous national record of 1:31.18 by the Baylor School from three years ago.
Bolles School and Verona/Mount Horeb Co-Op swam their 200 free relays last November, but 1,300 miles apart. Despite the distance, the teams managed to produce a tie for second place nationally with a 1:33.51 from both squads. Bolles’ team included rising star Kasey Schmidt as the leadoff swimmer, while Verona used mega-talent Beata Nelson on their anchor leg.
[U]Girls 200 Freestyle Relay National Top 8[/U] 1 1:30.72 Carmel High School Veronica Burchill Claire Adams Kendall Smith Gertrude Rothrock ([U]NATIONAL RECORD[/U]) 2 1:33.51 Bolles School Kasey Schmidt Claire Rasmus Annie Kyriakidas Christi Riley 3 1:33.51 Verona/Mt. Horeb Co-op Maizie Seidl Kristi Larsen Shelby Rozebloom Beata Nelson 26 1:35.15 Lillie Hosack (9 ), Jessica Short (12), Kathryn Mohr (12), Katie Drabot (11) Cedarburg High School Cedarburg WI
[U]Girls 200 Medley Relay National Top 8[/U] 1 1:39.25 Sammie Burchill (10), Alex Clarke (12), Veronica Burchill (11), Amy Bilquist (12) Carmel High School Carmel IN ([U]NATIONAL RECORD[/U]) 2 1:40.74 Tonner Debeer (9 ), Kennedy Lohman (11), Asia Seidt (11), Brooke Bauer (11) Sacred Heart Academy Louisville KY 3 1:41.71 Aly Tetzloff (12), Kelsi Artim (10), Hannah Kukurugya (10), Mackenzie Artim (11) Crown Point High School Crown Point IN 4 1:42.29 Katie Glavinovich (10), Catherine Lowengrub (11), Sonia Wang (12), Kaitlyn Albertoli (12) Jserra Catholic High School San Juan Capistrano CA 5 1:42.30 Carly Quast (10), Madison Preiss (11), Alexis Schaaf (10), Colleen Donlin (11) Wayzata High School Plymouth MN 6 1:42.38 Andrea Laliena (12), Amy Qin (9 ), Katie McLaughlin (12), Samantha Shelton (9 ) Santa Margarita Catholic High School Rancho Santa Margarita CA 31 1:44.63 Beata Nelson (11), Kristi Larsen (10), Sammy Seymour (12), Shelby Rozeboom (12) Verona / Mount Horeb Co-op Verona WI
[U]Girls 400 Freestyle Relay National Top 8[/U] 1 3:15.38 Veronica Burchill (11), Claire Adams (11), Kendall Smith (11), Amy Bilquist (12) Carmel High School Carmel IN ([U]NATIONAL RECORD[/U]) 2 3:21.04 Samantha Shelton (9 ), Sydney Franzen (12), Camryn Barry (10), Katie McLaughlin (12) Santa Margarita Catholic High School Rancho Santa Margarita CA 15 3:25.19 Skylar Fore (10), Kathryn Mohr (12), Jessica Short (12), Katie Drabot (11) Cedarburg High School Cedarburg WI
...well, not that the Wildcats, Horns or Trojans should be completely overlooked or underestimated at all here, as they are starting to build a formidable base with a plethora of incoming talent who may well be making some noise down the road.
UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842513216 said:
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]Ranking the 2015 Women’s NCAA Recruiting Classes: #1-4[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Katie McLaughlin and Kathleen Baker are two of many reasons why the [U]Cal Bears class[/U] sits at the top. [SIZE=1][COLOR="#808080"]Archive Photo via Katie McLaughlin[/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE=3]#3: [U]Arizona Wildcats[/U][/SIZE]
Top-Tier Additions: #8 Taylor Garcia, #13 Katrina Konopka, #17 Daniela Georges, Annie Ochitwa, Sam Senczyszyn, Ashley Sutherland The rest: Emma McCarthy, Karli Thuen, McKenzie Rumrill, Sam Shimomura, Ali Powell
This is the class the Wildcats needed to turn things around; Arizona’s roster had become increasingly thin, going from finishing in the top five routinely to piece-mealing relays and barely cracking the top 15 last season. Granted, those results shouldn’t be put on Rick DeMont; the cupboards were pretty bare when he took over a little more than a year ago. In his first full recruiting class, DeMont hit it big: eleven athletes, including three top-20 recruits, an additional two 22.6/49.5 freestylers, and a 1:00.7/2:15.0 breaststroker.
We talked about it at the time, but still kind of stunned by how many freshmen both 'SC and 'Zona brought in. By my count 13 each. Given there are only 14 total rides and a cap of 18 at NCAAs, that creates all kinds of problems. Teri tries to keep her team around 24 swimmers and occasionally backfills with transfers or JCs.
Not sure how many total rides Georgia has to fill, but it's probably 8 high end recruits since they basically missed a season. They'd probably be better served by filling 2 or 3 via transfers to keep the classes reasonably balanced. Get that 'Zona was a bit of a dumpster fire with a coaching change, but Salo has no excuse for mismanaging his own scholly allocation.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=5]Girls Athlete of Year: [U]Abbey Weitzeil[/U][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Published: July 30, 2015
[COLOR="#696969"]Abbey Weitzeil churns through the water for her team at Saugus. She's been one of the nation's top girls swimmers since her freshman season. Photo: Santa Clarita Valley Signal.[/COLOR]
Swimmer from Saugus had a remarkable prep career and seems on the same path as other previous top California girls swimmers who've been State Athlete of the Year. Two other aquatics standouts Katie McLaughlin of Santa Margarita and MaKenzie Fisher of Laguna Beach also were strongly considered along with Rancho Buena Vista's Alyssa LaFrancis, the state's first four-time CIF state girls wrestling champ.
By Erik Boal DyeStatCal Editor
In a talent-laden Santa Clarita Valley that has produced professional athletes in football, golf, baseball and basketball, in addition to Olympic gold medalists in softball as well as track and field, it is a swimmer making historic waves this year.
For the first time in either gender, Cal-Hi Sports is recognizing a Foothill League standout with one of its most prestigious awards with the selection this week of Saugus High star Abbey Weitzeil as State Girls Athlete of the Year.
Not even the great Anthony Ervin, a 1999 Hart of Newhall graduate and 2000 Olympic swimming gold medalist, earned the state's top male honor during his career. Weitzeil's selection comes following a high school career that included an American record and concluded as the fastest sprint freestyle swimmer in U.S. prep history.
"It's a great honor. To go from where I was to the Junior National team was a big step for me and then obviously it was an even bigger step going from Junior National team to the U.S. National team," Weitzeil said. "Being around all these experienced people is really exciting. It's a big step, but I'm really excited about it. I just need to continue to work hard and focus on the things that are my weaknesses, so I can continue to improve. I just need to relax and have fun and focus on what I know I can do."
Weitzeil, 18, and the 34-year-old Ervin are both U.S. national team members preparing for the FINA World Championships, which began Sunday in Kazan, Russia.
Also joining Weitzeil in Russia as U.S. teammates are former Carondelet of Concord star Chelsea Chenault (2012-13) and Long Beach Wilson graduate (2004-05) Jessica Hardy, the last two swimmers to be selected State Girls Athlete of the Year.
Santa Margarita standout Katie McLaughlin, the national high school record holder in the 100-yard butterfly and also strongly considered for the State AOY honor, is also on the U.S. roster.
[U]Weitzeil and McLaughlin have both signed with Cal[/U], but Weitzeil is deferring her enrollment until the fall of 2016 to remain close to home in order to train with personal coach Coley Stickels for next year's U.S. Olympic Trials.
Weitzeil captured a silver medal earlier this month in the 100-meter freestyle and helped the U.S. win gold in the 400 freestyle relay and bronze in the 400 medley relay at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea.
It was the third consecutive international meet at which Weitzeil secured a medal in preparation for Russia, along with a silver in the 400 freestyle relay in August at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia and three relay medals at the FINA Short Course World Championships in December in Qatar.
Although Weitzeil didn't compete at the inaugural CIF state championships in May in Clovis, she left an incredible legacy at the CIF Southern Section Division I finals in Riverside, concluding her career with eight individual titles.
Weitzeil began by lowering her own national high school record in the 50-yard freestyle to 21.64 seconds, then did so twice in the 100-yard freestyle, first by clocking 47.33 to capture the individual title, then leading off Saugus' 400 freestyle relay in 47.09 in her final swim for the Centurions.
In her last nine freestyle swims at the section championship meet in 2014 and 2015, Weitzeil either set or eclipsed national high school records.
But her most impressive performances came in December after returning home from Qatar at the Speedo Junior National Championships in Federal Way, Wash. Weitzeil set the American record in the 100-yard freestyle by clocking 46.29, lowering Simone Manuel's standard of 46.62 from November.
Manuel, entering her sophomore year at Stanford, regained the record by clocking 46.09 at the NCAA Division I championships in March, but Weitzeil's time remains the No. 2 mark in American history.
Weitzeil also produced a personal-best 21.49 in the 50-yard freestyle, which ranks No. 5 all-time in American history. Since long-course events are held in international competitions, Weitzeil's best marks in the 50-meter freestyle (24.80) and 100-meter freestyle (54.38) both rank among the top 20 in U.S. history.
"To be honest, I am still a newbie to swimming. I have only been swimming competitively for five or six years," Weitzeil told USA Swimming about her rise to being one of the country's top young stars. "The first Olympics I watched in swimming was 2008. I just wasn't into swimming at all. I didn't really know what it was like or about.
"I started swimming and I didn't like it, then I got back into it and realized the great things about it, and as I worked harder, I enjoyed it more and things started happening."
Like making history as the first individual from the Santa Clarita Valley to be selected State Athlete of the Year.
Jenna Campbell's moving on up in the 200 Free. Second behind Taylor Ruck and ahead of Erika Brown at Juniors. Her LCM time (2:00.95) converts to 1:46.08. That's roughly a second drop. Needs roughly another 0.4 drop to qualify for NCAAs and 0.7 to score.
Katie McL swam an extremely fast 200 Free leg on the winning 800 relay in Kazan, barely an hour after finishing sixth in the 200 Fly. Has huge upside for the Bears.
The Marina LCM/SCY mystery continues. Swam a LCM time that converts to 2:07 in SCYs (ie fifth at NCAAs) in the 200 Breast.
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[COLOR="#330066"][SIZE=5]Bears Golden in 4x200 Free Relay[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"][SIZE=2]Missy Franklin (left), Katie McLaughlin (center) Help U.S. to Victory. Getty Images[/SIZE][/COLOR]
The American women looked like big favorites entering the [U]800 free relay[/U] final, especially since they brought with them two of the top three finishers from the individual [U]200 free[/U], Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin. Those two sat out the prelims relay, which still qualified second overall. But with three of the splits from that squad in the 1:58-range, the U.S. coaches made a surprising decision, inserting Katie McLaughlin into the lineup for finals.
McLaughlin originally made the team as the second-ranked American in the [U]200 fly[/U], for which she qualified fifth out of Wednesday's semi-finals, but coming into tonight she had already received an early taste of World Championships action after swimming in the final of the [U]mixed 400 medley relay[/U] on Wednesday night. McLaughlin recorded a fly split a 57.56, faster than either of the American entrants in the individual [U]100 fly[/U] had recorded, and the Americans went on to earn a silver medal.
Just an hour before her relay assignment, however, McLaughlin would be lined up for the 200 fly final. She had an outside medal chance in that event, and she chose to go for broke from the start. The 18 year old from Southern California touched first at each of the first three walls but paid dearly for that effort over the final 50 meters. She dropped from a 32.54 on her third 50 to a 34.13 on the final lap as she faded to sixth place.
McLaughlin watched more experienced swimmers go right by her as she dropped off the pace. Those strong finishers included eventual winner Natsumi Hoshi, who split 32.34 on the way home, and teammate Cammile Adams, who came back in 32.69. But for McLaughlin, that painful experience in her first World Championship final will prove valuable down the line as she swims in even more significant races. And even though McLaughlin struggled at the finish, she still swam under 2:07 for the first time, clocking 2:06.95.
Following that individual final, McLaughlin had no time to think about her performance, as she was about to be thrown in the fire for the 800 free relay. McLaughlin had clocked 1:57.55 earlier this summer at a meet in Mission Viejo, but she did not directly qualify for this relay, and the coaches had entrusted her to perform in the final with Franklin, Ledecky, and Leah Smith. And in that relay, McLaughlin swam a race that ranks as the best and most important of her career so far.
After Smith swam the second leg of the relay, the Americans were in second place, eight tenths of a second behind Sweden. But Michelle Coleman quickly opened up a two second cushion on McLaughlin. The Americans still had Ledecky on the end, but they did not want to leave her a big deficit to make up. McLaughlin did not panic; she made up more than a second on Coleman on the last 50, and with her split of 1:56.92, she left Ledecky a deficit of less than four tenths of a second to overcome.
Ledecky ended up making quick work of Ida Marko-Varga to wrap up the gold for the Americans as Sweden faded to fourth. If McLaughlin had ended up finishing two-plus seconds back of Sweden, that's a potentially-overwhelming gap for even Ledecky to erase. Instead, McLaughlin broke Sweden's will with her late surge, and that allowed Ledecky to cruise on home.
Katie McLaughlin came into the World Championships as the second American entrant in the 200 fly. She will leave as a key cog in the women's National team, and even though the 200 fly has wrapped up, McLaughlin has more business to attend to in Kazan. She will most likely swim the crucial butterfly leg on the women's medley relay on Sunday, where she will be favored to earn a third medal. Expect more big things from McLaughlin in the upcoming Olympic year.
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[COLOR="#003399"][SIZE=5]Women Take 4x200m Free Relay Gold[/SIZE][/COLOR]
McLaughlin was back in the water later for the women's 4x200m free relay, swimming a key third leg. With the U.S. trailing Sweden after the first two swimmers, McLaughlin dove in about a body length behind, but touched the wall about even with Sweden's Michelle Coleman. Ledecky cleaned up from there, touching more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Italy was second in 7:48.41, followed by China in 7:49.10.
"Having my teammates on the relay definitely gave me a little strength at the end," McLaughlin said. "When I started to feel tired at the end, I just wanted to do it for my team and for Team USA. It think I was (feeling tired after the double), but I think I had enough adrenaline to drown it out."
This is the first World Championships for both McLaughlin and Smith. McLaughlin won silver in last night's mixed 4x100 medley relay. This was the first World Championship medal for Smith.
"I'm really fortunate to have my first race be with those girls," Smith said. "It was really exciting. I've never been to worlds before, so to have my first race at Worlds be on a relay with these girls is really cool.
"There was a lot of pressure, just because traditionally, the U.S. is so good at that (relay). I was definitely shaking on the blocks a bit, but I knew I had three girls on the block to back me up, and their support meant a lot to me."
Thursday's gold marked the fourth for Ledecky this week. She also won the 400m free, 1500m free and 200m free. Franklin has three medals one gold and two bronze.
After tonight's race, Ledecky had high praise for her teammates, especially McLaughlin.
"I knew if I was in striking distance, I could bring it home," Ledecky said. "But honestly, Katie McLaughlin had the best last 50 out there, and I'm so proud of her, what she's done this week. She's had a tremendous week and has really done a lot of our team.
"This relay means a lot to Team USA. We know that's our relay, and we take it very seriously, but we have a lot of fun when we do it. It's great to be on a team with these three girls. We just had a blast."
[SIZE=3][COLOR="#008000"][U]Watch Team USA win 800 Free Relay at World Championships[/U][/COLOR] [COLOR="#FF0000"](Race Video)[/COLOR][/SIZE] -> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30mnby [COLOR="#800080"](Universal Sports Network)[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Left to right: Team USA's Missy Franklin, Leah Smith, Katie McLaughlin, and Katie Ledecky, World Champions in the [U]4x200m freestyle relay[/U]. 2015 World Championships (courtesy of Tim Binning, theswimpictures.com)[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#696969"]Murphy, Cordes, McLaughlin and Geer chased Great Britain from the start of the [U]mixed 400m medley relay[/U]. The Brits touched first in 3:41.71, breaking the world record of 3:42.33, set by the United States in this morning's prelims. The U.S. was second in 3:43.27, followed by Germany in 3:44.13.[/COLOR]
Breast footnote from Nationals. Danville's Heidi Poppe (LSJU) and Petaluma's Riley Scott ('SC) were thought to be potential solutions to Cal's breaststroke woes. Maija swam (1:10.81 -1:02) in the 100 Breast. Finished 40th, but still was ahead of both Poppe and Scott. Poppe had an OK frosh season (just missed scoring @ NCAAs), but both Poppe and Riley have stalled. Maija's a solid LCM swimmer, but she certainly isn't a sprinter.
So good to see all the Baby Bears swimming well, but [COLOR="#B22222"]my fear of Katie deferring is getting bigger and bigger[/COLOR]. She has the most upside for a medal in the Olympics in my opinion. To be chosen for the 4 x 200 relay team is huge! Also, she looked great for 150 meters in the 200 Fly, but just died at the end for going out too fast.
BearDevil;842521690 said:
[COLOR="#008000"]Not worried about KM deferring[/COLOR]. Vollmer. Farida, Boots, Noemie, Mau, Naze in the fly and Viollmer. Cierra, Pelton, Baker, Acker in the 200 Free are unbelievable training groups. Teri will have to mix in a lot of LCM sets.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Well [U]tedbear[/U], hopefully Kathleen & Katie's instas + associated comments (see below) will set your mind more at ease concerning KM's much speculated deferment... :p
On another note, Abbey isn't listed on the start lists for the FINA World Cup taking place in Moscow tomorrow, contrary to what she had indicated from her tweets prior to Worlds. Bit selfish of me perhaps lol, but I'm already dreaming up this exciting but implausible scenario where Abbey's solid but not out-of-this-world splits in her 2 prelims relay outings @ Kazan has resulted in her re-evaluation of her intention to defer this year to train with Coley thru Rio... Rather long stretch and most unlikely tho, I'll admit haha [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842522666 said:
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]9 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#808080"]Stadium Kazan Arena[/COLOR] I'm not Russian to get out of here, but I can't wait for the next four years #followher [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE] @katie_mclaughlin [U]Alyssa Marsh[/U]: First like omg [U]Katie Drabot[/U]: Creative [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE] [U]Rachel Baker[/U]: Come back to me [U]Kelly Naze[/U]: Yay [SIZE=4]��������[/SIZE]!!!! [U]Valerie Hull[/U]: [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE] adorable [U]Camille Cheng[/U]: You two [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE]
Katie McLaughlin - [COLOR="#696969"]10 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#808080"]kazan, russia[/COLOR] Just a couple of girls living the American dream [SIZE=4]��������[/SIZE] �� [U]Allie Fogleman[/U]: the Asian guy in the top left corner licking his lips [U]Ella Eastin[/U]:[SIZE=4]❤️������[/SIZE] congrats to both of you! Such studs. Love you guys [U]Bethany Leap[/U]: Love you two so much [SIZE=4]❤️[/SIZE] [U]Kelly Naze[/U]: You both are amazing! Can't wait to see you both soon! [SIZE=4]������[/SIZE] [COLOR="#000066"][U]Liz Pelton[/U]: Get to Cal asap please you two!!![SIZE=4]��������[/SIZE][/COLOR] [COLOR="#FF8C00"][U]Katie McLaughlin[/U]: I'm running there rn!!!!!! @epelton16[/COLOR] [COLOR="#808080"](11 Aug)[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] btw, sweet to see baby :bear: Abbey, Kathleen & Katie sitting/standing next to each other, cheering Team USA on from the stands during the BBC & NBC telecasts today :cheer [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
It's been a challenging summer to say the least, but you cannot change the cards you've been dealt. I couldn't be more thankful for the overwhelming support from Chris and Ian and my teammates. Carmel has taught me so many lessons about overcoming challenges and never quitting. I wouldn't trade these past two years for anything. Chris and Ian thank you for helping me find my passion for this sport again and thank you for coaching me through both swimming and life, I'll miss you two and Carmel more than you know. #CourageAndPerserverance #BDB
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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] :bear: + [COLOR="#B22222"]Furd[/COLOR] = BFFs? [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Kim Williams - [COLOR="#696969"]11 Aug[/COLOR]
HBD to the true MVP �� so proud of you & can't wait to be right across the bay next year! Love you �� #legal @amybilquist
[U]Amy[/U] : @kim_williams22 ah love you long time Kim! Can't wait for next year! You're the best ����
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[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] :bear: + [COLOR="#B22222"]Trojan[/COLOR] = besties? [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Victoria Marie Toris - [COLOR="#696969"]11 Aug[/COLOR]
Special happy birthday to my favorite person on this planet @amybilquist love you so much babe ❤️��
[U]Amy[/U] : @victoriammtoris ahhhh love you lots!! Can't wait to be in the same state in a matter of days!!! Love ya lots ��
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Caroline Jenson - [COLOR="#696969"]11 Aug[/COLOR]
Happy birthday to my girl @amybilquist love and miss you tons ������ can't wait to see what you accomplish this year! ��������
[U]Amy[/U] : @carolinejenson2 thanks LuLu love ya lots☺️ so excited for you my little Wildcat ��
[U]Amy[/U] : @brianbilquist I've never felt so American see you in a week big brother ��
[U]Brian[/U] : @amybilquist can't wait!
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Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]14 Aug[/COLOR]
11/10 spoiled
[COLOR="#FF0000"]VIDEO ->[/COLOR]
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Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]18 Aug[/COLOR] Accurate representation of how packing is going...
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]19 Aug[/COLOR] Just need to find a suitcase big enough for Lucas now...
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]19 Aug[/COLOR] By far the hardest goodbye. I'll miss you Lucas I love you so much thanks for being the best puppy see you later [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][COLOR="#3399cc"]��[/COLOR] [/SIZE] 11/10 don't recommend saying bye to your pets. I am not okay.
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]20 Aug[/COLOR] Miss you kitty [SIZE=4]����[/SIZE]
On another note, Abbey isn't listed on the start lists for the FINA World Cup taking place in Moscow tomorrow, contrary to what she had indicated from her tweets prior to Worlds. Bit selfish of me perhaps lol, but I'm already dreaming up this exciting but implausible scenario where Abbey's solid but not out-of-this-world splits in her 2 prelims relay outings @ Kazan has resulted in her re-evaluation of her intention to defer this year to train with Coley thru Rio... Rather long stretch and most unlikely tho, I'll admit haha
Wouldn't that be a "Dream" UAC!!! It has to be hard on her that all of her friends are off to college and she is still at home training. Also, wouldn't the competition of college swimming (see Simone Manuel) be more beneficial than staring at a black line at the bottom of a pool day after day. But alas, with the transfer of Valerie Hull, I don't think there is any scholly money left to pass out this year.
Really happy that Amy romped on that C Final and is continuing to mend. I've said this time and time again, but I think Amy has the highest ceiling of the Dream Team.
Nikol Popov didn't swim that well in the 200 Breast at Nationals (53rd 2:36.75). I hope she is more than just a breast sprinter. Also of note in the 200 Breast, C Final winner was Kristen Vose over Horejsi and Riley Scott. That Coach Teri has an eye for talent even though we may not get them all. Maybe we should all just relax a little more about recruiting and let the premier coach in women's swimming do her thing. :acclaim: Hahaha!
Wouldn't that be a "Dream" UAC!!! It has to be hard on her that all of her friends are off to college and she is still at home training. Also, wouldn't the competition of college swimming (see Simone Manuel) be more beneficial than staring at a black line at the bottom of a pool day after day. But alas, with the transfer of Valerie Hull, I don't think there is any scholly money left to pass out this year.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Guess that why we call it the "DREAM" team lol
Seriously tho, I think Abbey's pretty committed to her club coach for 1 more year to be honest - she truly believes that through working on some new training techniques with Coley, free of the distractions of the classroom and having to adjust to a new environment, that this will ultimately elevate her performance to become a serious contender for Team USA in the 2016 Olympics. Besides, as you had pointed out, probably too late for a change of mind at this juncture! [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
tedbear;842522961 said:
Really happy that Amy romped on that C Final and is continuing to mend. I've said this time and time again, but I think Amy has the highest ceiling of the Dream Team.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Oh absolutely, the upside for Amy is really quite astonishing, well at least the potential for it!
In fact all 4 of our Dream Teamers have shown considerably accelerated development since signing their LOI - Abbey kickstarted it all with her relay WRs @ SC World Champs which was followed up by her smashing the 100 yards AR...Katie responded with a string of PBs in Dec...Amy then got into the act with her national HS record-breaking spree @ the Indiana State Champs in Feb...not to be left out, Kathleen joined the exclusive club of under-a-minute 100m backstrokers this summer, and lowered her time further in the pressure cooker environment of a Worlds Championship semi-finals...Katie next outdid herself by taking her fly and in particular 200m free prowess to the next elite level in Kazan... :bravo
In spite of her encouraging results from Nationals, I think we should still be prepared to exercise patience with Amy's swim times the next semester or two as it'll take a while for her to heal fully, make up for the loss of time in her training cycle and regain her former swag in the pool. I do have some concerns about those stress fractures, which are very rarely caused by activity in the water, at least from my admittedly very limited understanding of these things. Did read somewhere that they did significantly increase Amy's dryland exercises when she had joined Carmel with the aim of increasing her bulk & strength/power...so was wondering if her weights regimen may have been premature or overdone at some point before her lanky frame could adapt fully, thus possibly leading to the micro-fractures developing unnoticed for some period in time? :confused: [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
tedbear;842522961 said:
Nikol Popov didn't swim that well in the 200 Breast at Nationals (53rd 2:36.75). I hope she is more than just a breast sprinter. Also of note in the 200 Breast, C Final winner was Kristen Vose over Horejsi and Riley Scott. That Coach Teri has an eye for talent even though we may not get them all. Maybe we should all just relax a little more about recruiting and let the premier coach in women's swimming do her thing. :acclaim: Hahaha!
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Kristen has improved dramatically indeed and would have helped Bears considerably, which Teri spotted miles/long before Vose was even a blip on any of our "amateur armchair scouts" radar lol
I do believe that Nikol and Lindsey's strengths do tend towards the shorter distance, which is not necessarily such a bad thing altogether as that has medley relay contribution value, esp if it'd free up Kathleen to focus on her backstroke. As reiterated too many times by BD hehe, we really need Marina to parlay her LCM studliness to the little pool soon, and/or have Maija hurry up her development in the yards version of the 200 breast! [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
Nikol Popov didn't swim that well in the 200 Breast at Nationals (53rd 2:36.75). I hope she is more than just a breast sprinter. Also of note in the 200 Breast, C Final winner was Kristen Vose over Horejsi and Riley Scott. That Coach Teri has an eye for talent even though we may not get them all. Maybe we should all just relax a little more about recruiting and let the premier coach in women's swimming do her thing. :acclaim: Hahaha!
Quick snapshot of recent breaststroke recruits and current status. Emily Cameron was the top ranked breast recruit in the 2013 class. Bears initially recruited Cameron, but dropped her (cancelled her official visit) because of concerns over fit with the team. Celina was potentially the breast solution in the class until Marina emerged. Cameron never developed as a breaststroker as a freshman at Georgia, but is a strong IMer. Bears were very interested in Heidi Poppe in 2014, but she gave an early verbal to LSJU. Maija got jerked around by both Harvard and LSJU and ended up at Cal. Poppe had an uneven frosh year. Maija beat Poppe in both breast events at Nationals. Bears also wanted Meaghan Raab in the same class, but as a sprinter/IMer not a breaststroker. Raab was solid as a freshman. Swam the breast leg on Georgia's 200 medley relay to save Annie Zhu (lead breaststroker) and Cameron for the 400 IM. Marina, Maija, and Baker are all faster than Raab in both breasts.
Lilly King was the best overall breaststroker in 2015, but had no interest in Cal. Teri's prime target was Baker, but Ella Eastin, Riley Scott, and Vose were all back up targets. If Poppe continues to stagnate, Eastin may be the lead breaststroker on the farm in 2017. Vose has the highest breast ceiling ceiling of the othar non-Baker PAC-12 frosh. King's IU frosh teammate Miranda Tucker has the highest 2015 breast ceiling nationally.
Horejsi projects as a frosh scorer in the 100 and is just off scoring in the 200. Popov has the higher ceiling. Kinda doubt Teri spends for a third potential medley breast while Marina/Baker are still on the team together, but would fix a potential back hole in 2017.
LSJU (Haase) and Georgia (Zhu) have better 2016 breast options than the Bears, but unless they add additional 2016 recruits, Bears are better off in 2017 than those two plus 'SC. Any upside from Marina in either event and Maija and Celina in the 200 and it's not close.
Relative weaknesses compared to potential title contenders are more relevant than perceived weaknesses. Bears don't need to be A&M in breast, they just need a solid medley option since they're so strong in the three other legs. Multiple individual scorers in both breasts would be gravy. Same general thing applies to distance. Need another scorer in the 500 and 1650 to complement Cierra. Doesn't need to be a 800 relay swimmer too, but a 400 IM scorer would be a huge bonus.
2017 Bears have a reasonable shot at a three peat, but that doesn't mean there still aren't a few holes (distance, breast, 400 IM, back). Team doesn't need to be perfect to win, but that doesn't mean Teri can or should ignore potential weaknesses/holes.
Quick snapshot of recent breaststroke recruits and current status.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Great comparative overview and comprehensive analysis, BD! :beer: [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
BearDevil;842523018 said:
Lilly King was the best overall breaststroker in 2015, but had no interest in Cal.
[COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Just wanted to clear this up a bit since I may have personally received some info that isn't publicly available :p
Lilly was never recruited by Cal.
This is from a source who's as close to Lilly as you can get so I consider this to be quite trustworthy
For whatever reason (budget perhaps seeing that the Dream Team was already targeted by Teri & Kristen at the time, with in-states Ella/Vose/Riley also in the running), Teri didn't approach Lilly, who I'm sure would have loved to come out here on a recruiting trip if that scenario would have presented itself. Instead King ended up signing for IU thanks in large to Ray Looze's hard work & enthusiasm in recruiting, not to mention Lilly finding herself to be a great fit with the Hoosiers swim team & college...
As we saw recently, Lilly (internationally) and Kirsten (nationally) have both been blowing up and shown very promising developments. So, as astute and forward looking as "Mother T" is, she's not infallible given the limitations & priorities that she has to work with.
Perhaps not an ideal scenario for Kathleen's Olympics aspirations as it stands if she has to do breast duty for the medley relays @ NCAAs, but hopefully this will be a temporary arrangement, depending on the progression of Marina & Maija, and on how our recruiting shakes out for the incoming Classes of 2016 & 2017. [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR] :gobears:
Don't think identifying talent has ever been the problem for Teri. Quite the opposite considering conventional SwimSwam "wisdom" that the Bay Area duopoly has cornered the market on elite talent. Leah Smith, Lia Neal, and Chelsea Chenault were all future National Teamers who made official recruiting visits in 2013.
Teri builds around relays and always has multiple options. Since her teams are always in title contention, she practices just in time recruiting (Hull for Abbey) in critical spots as needed. Baker/Marina is fine through the 2017 season. 200 Breast scoring (Marina, Maija?, Celina?) is nice to have, but doesn't matter as much as medley breast legs. Whether that remains Baker or comes via Horejsi, Popov, or transfer remains to be seen. Teri's added key pieces via transfer (Hull, Fotsch, Raatz) so she has options to build post 2017. BFotsch was a Notre Dame transfer who swam on an NCAA record medley relay on an NCAA championship team. Raatz transferred from 'Zona and also swam on two NCAA championship teams. Hopefully Hull outdoes both by swimming on three NCAA championship teams.
Abbey Weitzeil - [COLOR="#696969"]18 Aug[/COLOR] B [SIZE=4]❤️[/SIZE]
Abbey Weitzeil - [COLOR="#696969"]1 Sept[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#808080"]Hillsboro, North Dakota[/COLOR] "Ok now really exaggerate your head tilt" -Mom [SIZE=4]��☔️[/SIZE] #sisters #humidhair #nelsonwedding2015
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UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842512555 said:
[COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=5]U.S. National Team Swimmer [U]Katie McLaughlin[/U] Leads NISCA Academic All-America Squad[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#808080"]USA Swimming National Team member Katie McLaughlin excels in both the classroom and the pool. Archive Photo via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography[/COLOR]
The National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches’ Association (NISCA) has released their 2014-2015 high school Academic All-America and Scholar Team rankings.
To earn this honor individually, athletes must hold at least a 3.750 GPA on a 4-point scale, or 93.75% on the grade scale used by their school.
The women’s All-America Team is even more impressive, with two members of our high school class of 2015 top 20 recruits also earning high scholastic honors. #4 recruit and [U]Cal commit[/U] Katie McLaughlin made the list, as did #12 Sonia Wang, who is heading to Harvard.
[COLOR="#DAA520"][SIZE=5]Shoults ’16 and [U]McLaughlin[/U] Claim NISCA High School All-American Status[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Congratulations to rising senior Grant Shoults and Katie McLaughlin ’15 for earning NISCA High School All-American Status in the [U]200 freestyle[/U].
McLaughlin ‘15 came in at the number two spot behind Olympic gold medalist, and current world record-holder (400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle, long course), Katie Ledecky of Stone Ridge High School.
[SIZE=3]Girls [U]200 Freestyle[/U] National Top 8 [/SIZE]
[U]Time Swimmer School[/U] 1:41.55 Katie Ledecky Stone Ridge High School 1:43.01 Katie McLaughlin Santa Margarita Catholic High School 1:45.09 Claire Adams Carmel High School 1:45.40 Katie Drabot Cedarburg High School 1:45.89 Megan Moroney Saint Andrews High School 1:45.93 Lauren Case Woodstock High School 1:46.07 Taylor Ault Sonora High School 1:46.14 Kenisha Liu Ayala High School
[SIZE=3]Girls [U]100 Butterfly[/U] National Top 8 [/SIZE]
Katie McLaughlin - [COLOR="#696969"]18 Aug[/COLOR] I hate this state of knowing I'm going to leave so everything is sad...
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Katie McLaughlin - [COLOR="#696969"]20 Aug[/COLOR] @ [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]Dana Point, California[/COLOR] Just a girl with a dream enjoying her last sunny where all the dreams began... [SIZE=4][COLOR="#FFD700"]��[/COLOR][/SIZE] [U]kathleenbaker2[/U]: Insta game so strong lately [U]amybilquist[/U]: Majestic [U]takahashiken[/U]: Cya Sunday [U]epelton16[/U]: ����!! [U]smithers1650[/U]: 5 dreams in a row @katie_mclaughlin. #BoldMove. [U]nicki_norman[/U]: Yeah what's up with that ^ @smithers1650 [U]alexahines[/U]: Good luck Katie �� keep dreaming big at Cal �� you are going to accomplish so much in future!! [U]mandyleighbarnes[/U]: Keep dreaming in Berkeley! Love you Kathy Chubbs �� so glad my great friend has the brightest future �� [U]carliemccabe[/U]: Hey I might miss you. I think I'll miss Mr. Lawrence more tho :/ OBVI kidding. I will miss you much much much more my gold planner loving friend ��
Don't think identifying talent has ever been the problem for Teri. Quite the opposite considering conventional SwimSwam "wisdom" that the Bay Area duopoly has cornered the market on elite talent. Leah Smith, Lia Neal, and Chelsea Chenault were all future National Teamers who made official recruiting visits in 2013.
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Teri said Cal decided against Chenault! It sounded that it wasn't a good academic fit!
[COLOR="#008000"][SIZE=5]Subway Swim Day At The Greensboro Aquatic Center [/SIZE][/COLOR]
U.S. National Team member Kathleen Baker joined families with [U]Autism Unbound[/U] during the Subway Swim Day at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Greensboro, N.C.
U.S. National Team member Kathleen Baker lays back in the water with 13-year-old Trae Lunsford during the Subway Swim Day with Autism Unbound families at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Greensboro, N.C.
Last lake day that we'll all be together for awhile. But Kathleen's gonna do incredible things at Berk. Go Bears! [COLOR="#A52A2A"][SIZE=4]��[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#808080"]Erika Brown and Kathleen Baker[/COLOR]
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]15 Aug[/COLOR] - [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]Currently Sobbing[/COLOR] s/o to @mccourt for putting up with us all summer and for supplying us with jet skis, life jackets, and snacks #mainchicks #rockisland #poptarts #slushies #fam LOVE YOU [SIZE=4]��[/SIZE] [U]Erika Brown[/U]: I love you guys so much [SIZE=4]������������[/SIZE]
Connor Mccourt - [COLOR="#696969"]15 Aug[/COLOR] - [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]On a SeaDoo[/COLOR] 90% of my summer fun in one picture and I couldn't be happier for Kathleen as she's off to do amazing things over her next 4 years at Cal.
Erika Brown - [COLOR="#696969"]15 Aug[/COLOR] - [COLOR="#A9A9A9"]so sad[/COLOR] Can't believe my best friend is leaving me today. I know you'll do great things at Cal, ily [SIZE=4]❤️��[/SIZE] [U]Maija Roses[/U]: @connor_mccourt_ always hanging with the ladies [SIZE=4]������[/SIZE]
[COLOR="#FFA500"][U]Kathleen Baker[/U]: I don't like saying bye to people[/COLOR]
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]27 Aug[/COLOR] HBD [COLOR="#0099cc"]@erikabrown27[/COLOR] thanks for teaching me how to fold a burrito and for loving ranch as much as I do. [COLOR="#ff3300"][SIZE=4]❤️❤️❤️[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Alyssa Marsh - [COLOR="#696969"]27 Aug[/COLOR] S/O to me for not knowing it was [COLOR="#0099cc"]@erikabrown27[/COLOR] birthday till an hour ago [COLOR="#0099cc"]#imagoodfriend #ily #imsorry #17[/COLOR]
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Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]17 Aug[/COLOR]
"Please don't come home from Berkeley a liberal"-Mom #southernraised [COLOR="#006699"][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman] :rollinglaugh: @ Kimberley (mum): er, maybe your daughter should have applied to that other institution across the bay instead... :p [/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR] [COLOR="#B22222"]Grace Carlson - [COLOR="#696969"]6 Aug[/COLOR] What do Stanford swimmers do in the hotel at swim meets? They watch the GOP debate [/COLOR]
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Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]19 Aug[/COLOR]
So blessed to have so many amazing people in my life, that are making leaving for college so hard [COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=4]����[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="#008000"][SIZE=5]Subway Swim Day At The Greensboro Aquatic Center [/SIZE][/COLOR]
U.S. National Team member Kathleen Baker joined families with [U]Autism Unbound[/U] during the Subway Swim Day at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Greensboro, N.C.
U.S. National Team member Kathleen Baker lays back in the water with 13-year-old Trae Lunsford during the Subway Swim Day with Autism Unbound families at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Greensboro, N.C.
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As a parent of a kid with an autism spectrum disorder, I must say how touched I am by KB's offering of time and kindness. Good to see that Teri continues to recruit young women who are great people, not just great swimmers. Go Bears!
Here's hoping that his 2016 edition of the [U]Dream Team[/U] will be equally spot on! :cheer
[SIZE=4]��������[/SIZE] 
Amy Bilquist - [COLOR="#696969"]16 Aug[/COLOR] 
Kathleen Baker - [COLOR="#696969"]17 Aug[/COLOR]