November 08, 2006
Texas A&M sophomore Julia Wilkinson (Stratford, Ont.) has been named the National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week by CollegeSwimming.com as well as the Big 12 Swimmer of the Week by the league?â„¢s coaches.
Wilkinson was selected based on her performances during Texas A&M?â„¢s 174-125 defeat of No. 11 Texas in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown in College Station last Friday. The national honor was voted on by a panel of coaches, sports information directors, conference representatives, and CollegeSwimming.com staff members.
Wilkinson won all four races she swam against the Longhorns, swimming both NCAA automatic and consideration times throughout.
She started off the meet for A&M by clocking an NCAA automatic qualifying time of 54.14 in the 100-yard backstroke, leading the 400-yard medley relay team to the second-fastest time in school history at 3:38.11. The Aggies missed the automatic qualifying standard by just .09 but easily rank among the nation?â„¢s best in the event just eight months after finishing 16th at the NCAA Championships.
Wilkinson, the Big 12 100 backstroke champion as a freshman, was just getting warmed up however as she lowered her earlier NCAA automatic standard in the event with a first-place lifetime-best time of 54.03.
Four events later, Wilkinson moved from backstroke to freestyle with equal success. The A&M school record holder in the 100-yard freestyle clocked the second-fastest 100 free of her collegiate career, hitting the wall first in 49.54. The time is the fourth fastest in A&M history and is just .05 off the NCAA automatic qualifying standard.
In the penultimate event of the meet, Wilkinson captured first place in the 200-yard individual medley with the fastest time in the Big 12 this season. Her time of 2:01.17 is another very low NCAA consideration mark, a mark that fell just .65 short of another NCAA automatic qualifying time.
Wilkinson has posted a 7-1 record individually this season, with her only loss coming to sophomore All-American teammate Kristen Heiss in the 200-yard backstroke (1:58.64-1:58.95 against Oregon State on Oct. 27). Wilkinson also has an 8-1 record on relays this season, with her only loss coming in the double dual against Missouri and Nebraska to an alternate A&M 200 medley relay team on Oct. 14.
The Aggies are spending this week and next preparing for the three-day Art Adamson Invitational to be held Nov. 17-19 at the Student Rec Center Natatorium.