Sept. 10, 2010
The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team had a busy summer of competition with multiple current, former and incoming Aggies earning spots on the medal stand.
2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships
Irvine, Calif. • Aug. 3-7
A large contingent of Aggie swimmers competed at the ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif. Five members of the Texas A&M women's swimming team placed among the top 24 at the summer nationals for the first time in their swimming careers: Alia Atkinson stole the show at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, but a host of Aggies earned spots on the medal stand at the meet. Atkinson, the 2010 NCAA Champion in the 200 breaststrokes, swept all the breaststroke races from 50 to 200 meters and added a win in the 200 IM. Her wins in the 100 breast, 200 breast and 200 IM came in meet record times. Also shining in Puerto Rico was Alia Atkinson
50 breast - 31.91
100 breast - 1st, 1:10.25*
200 breast -1st, 2:30.99*
200 IM - 1st, 2:17.31*
* -- meet record
Rita Medrano
200 IM - 2nd, 2:17.80
50 fly - 5th, 27.68
100 fly - 2nd, 1:00.21
400 IM - 2nd, 4:51.42
200 fly - 1st, 2:11.25
400 medley relay - 1st, 4:09.29
Liliana Ibañez
50 free -- 5th, 26.26
100 free -- 4th, 56.29
200 free -- 2nd, 2:02.16
400 free -- 4th, 4:15.76
400 freestyle relay -- 3rd, 3:50.62
Men
Shawn Clarke
100 free - 12th
Canadian Summer National Championships
Victoria, BC, Canada • Aug. 18-22
Julia Wilkinson and Aggie senior-to-be Melanie Dodds earned spots on Canada's team for the Pan Pacific Championships with strong meets at the Canadian Summer National Championships in Victoria, British Columbia. Wilkinson was brilliant with wins in the 50 back and 200 free and also earned medals in the 100 free and the 200 IM. Dodds earned her Pac Pac berth with a silver medal in the 400 IM and just missed another trip to the medal stand with a fifth place finish in the 200 IM. Tess Simpson contributed a third place finish in the 50 back and a fourth place in the 100 back. Earning a medal from the men's team was incoming freshman Kyle Troskot, who placed third in the 50 free and also had a fifth place finish in the 50 fly.
Women
Julia Wilkinson (Pan Pacific Games qualifier)
50 back - 1st, 28.92
50 free - 7th, 26.14
100 free - 2nd, 55.84
200 free - 1st, 1:58.96
200 IM - 2nd, 2:13.80
Tess Simpson
50 back - 3rd, 28.92
100 back - 4th, 1:02.42
200 back - 7th, 2:14.66
Paige Miller
50 back - 11th, 30.16
50 fly - 10th, 27.80
100 fly - 17th, 1:01.80
Melanie Dodds (Pan Pacific Games qualifier)
400 IM - 2nd, 4:45.97
200 IM - 5th, 2:16.78
200 fly - 2:16.09 (2:14.95 in prelims)
200 breast - 15th, 2:36.07
Kendra Chernoff
50 fly - 11th, 27.88
100 fly - 4th, 1:00.46
200 fly - 14th, 2:16.31
Men
Julia Wilkinson and Julia Wilkinson
50 back -- 7th, 28.55 (Canadian record 28.47 in prelims)
100 backstroke -- 5th, 1:00.44
200 IM -- 4th, 2:11.32 (Canadian record)
4x200 free relay -- 3rd, 7:54.32 (1:58.20 split)
4x100 free relay -- 3rd, 3:38.14 (54.60 split)
4X100 medley relay -- 4th, 4:03.08 (1:00.60 back split)
Melanie Dodds
400 IM-- 13th, 4:49.64
200 IM -- 24th, 2:18.85
Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Maui, Hawaii • Aug. 26-30
At the Junior Pan Pacs in Maui, incoming freshman Kyle Troskot posted top eight finishes in the 50 free and 100 free and also legs on Canada's 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.
Kyle Troskot
50 free -- 6th, 23.25
100 free -- 7th, 51.83
100 butterfly -- 11th, 55.45
4x100 free relay -- 3rd, 3:25.62 (50.67 split)
Nations Cup
Victoria, BC, Canada • Aug. 5-6
A trio of Aggies helped Canada to a victory over France, Brazil and Australia at the Nations Cup in Victoria, British Columbia. Tess Simpson won the 200 backstroke and was second in the 100 back. Kendra Chernoff was third in the 100 fly and swam a leg on the winning 400 medley relay. Kyle Troskot led off Canada's third-place 200 free relay and was sixth in the 50 free.
Men
Kyle Troskot
50 free – 6th, 23.51
100 free – 7th, 51.80
200 free relay – 3rd, 1:32.20 (23.15 first leg)
Women
Tess Simpson
100 back – 2nd, 1:02.09
200 back – 1st, 2:12.38
Kendra Chernoff
100 fly – 3rd, 1:01.10
400 medley relay – 1st, 4:08.44 (1:00.40 fly split)