Heiss Grabs Silver, Lifetime-Best Performance at World University Games
Jul 06, 2009 | Women's Swimming and Diving
July 6, 2009
BELGRADE, Serbia - In her first major meet in nearly a year, Texas A&M senior Kristen Heiss (Casper, Wyo.) earned a silver medal for the United States at the World University Games thanks to a lifetime-best performance in the 200-meter backstroke on Monday night.
Heiss, who has only been competing for six weeks due to recovery and rehabilitation from shoulder surgery last October, stormed to a time of 2:09.22. Her previous best in the 200 back was a clocking of 2:09.99 in her last major meet, the U.S. Open last August, coincidentally the event which qualified her for the World University Games.
During Sunday's semifinal races, Heiss was the No. 2 qualifier, recording a time of 2:10.86 to win the first heat.
"It is an awesome experience to be racing here in Serbia," Heiss said. "We have a great group of swimmers representing the U.S., and the team is having a lot of fun together and swimming fast. It is so cool to be in a village with 9,000 other athletes from around the world. There are always new athletes to meet and stories to hear. I'm having a great time and am excited for the rest of the meet to come."
Aggie, and American, teammate Emily Neal (Plano) also made Monday's final, finishing seventh in 2:13.53. Neal qualified for the final after recording a time of 2:12.64 for third place in Heiss's semifinal heat on Sunday night, just .37 off her lifetime-best. Neal and Heiss both won their first round heats on Sunday morning, recording times of 2:12.85 and 2:11.62, respectively.
Aggie sophomore Melanie Dodds (Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada) was the first A&M swimmer to compete in a final, placing seventh in the 400-meter individual medley in 4:53.24. Dodds qualified for the final after recording a time of 4:51.57 to finish third in the first of three heats on Sunday morning.
Freshman diver Janie Potvin (Broussard, Quebec, Canada) qualified for the semi-finals in the women's platform event, placing 15th overall on Monday.
The swimming portion of the World University Games will continue through July 11 while the diving will conclude on July 10. The U.S. world championship trial, in which eight more Aggies will compete, begin on July 7 while the Canadian world trials will begin a day later.
