MINNEAPOLIS --- The Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team will be seeking to make history at the 2014 NCAA Championships, which will be contested Thursday through Saturday at the University of Minnesota.
The Aggies will take a school-record 16 swimmers to the national meet and could be in position for the program's highest NCAA finish in school history. The school's highest team finish ever is fourth, which was accomplished in 2013 and 2008. The Aggies will be seeking to extend their school record seven-year streak of top 10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
Swimming prelims get started at 11 a.m. each day while the finals begin at 7 p.m. Live results are available at GopherSports.com and live streaming video for every swimming session will be available at GopherSports.com or WatchESPN.com.
2014 NCAA Women's Championship Roster
|
Swimmer/Diver |
Invited Events |
Cl.-Exp |
Hometown (High School) (Previous School) |
|
500fr/400IM/200fl |
Sr.-3L |
Cypress, Texas (Cypress Woods) |
|
|
200fr/100bk |
Jr.-2L |
Gilbert, Ariz. (Gilbert) |
|
|
50fr/100fr |
Jr.-2L |
Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter) |
|
|
200bk |
So.-1L |
Dallas, Texas (Greenhill School) |
|
|
200IM/50fr |
Sr.-3L |
Spring, Texas (Klein) |
|
|
500fr/400IM/1650fr |
Jr.-2L |
Garner, N.C. (West Johnston) |
|
|
50fr/200fr/100fr |
Jr.-2L |
Celaya, Mexico (Colegio Panamericano del Centro) |
|
|
100br |
Fr.-HS |
Pretoria, South Africa (St. Francis College) |
|
|
1650fr |
So.-TR |
San Antonio, Texas (Reagan) |
|
|
50fr/100br/200br |
Sr.-3L |
Mesa, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
|
|
200bk |
Sr.-1L |
Mansfield, Texas (Univ of Texas) (Mansfield) |
|
|
200IM/100fl/200fl |
Sr.-2L |
Friendswood, Texas (Friendswood) |
|
|
200IM/100br/200br |
So.-1L |
Pointe-Claire, Québec (John Rennie) |
|
|
200IM/100br/200br |
Fr.-HS |
Belfast, Northern Ireland (Strathearn School) |
|
|
100fl/100bk |
Sr.-3L |
Caledon, Ontario (Mayfield Secondary) |
|
|
200fr |
So.-1L |
Tyler, Texas (Lee) |
Top 10 streak
Texas A&M will be seeking its eighth straight top 10 NCAA finish in Minnesota. Prior to the start of the current streak (2007-13), the Aggies had never finished in the top 10 at the national meet.
Sweet 16
Texas A&M takes 16 competitors (all swimmers) to the 2014 NCAA Championships, which was tied for the second-highest number of swimming qualifiers behind defending NCAA Champion Georgia (17) and tied with California.
• The 16 invited swimmers is the most in school history, nudging out the 15 swimmers from 2011. In 2011, the Aggies took a school record 17 competitors to NCAAs -- 15 swimmers and two divers.
• The Aggies will take double-digit qualifiers to NCAAs for the eighth straight season in 2014. The last time A&M didn't take 10 or more competitors to NCAAs was 2006 (eight qualifiers), which is the last time A&M didn't finish in the top 10.
Seeking New Heights
The Aggies will be seeking to better last year's fourth-place showing, which tied for the highest finish in program history. Texas A&M has finished in the top 10 seven times previously with the fourth place finishes in 2008 and 2013 being the high-water marks.
Fixture in the Top 10
(NCAA finishes under Steve Bultman)
Year NCAA Finish Points
2013 4th 323.5
2012 6th 262.0
2011 10th 182.0
2010 6th 311.0
2009 8th 186.0
2008 4th 315.0
2007 8th 198.0
2006 11th 118.0
2005 t14th 84.0
2004 16th 100.5
2003 -- DNS
2002 26th 21.0
2001 26th 26.0
2000 25th 24.0
Bold -- Indicates program bests
Defending their Turf
The Aggies will take a pair of defending NCAA Champions to Minnesota -- two-time 100 breaststroke champ Breeja Larson and 2013 200 butterfly winner Cammile Adams
• Larson was victorious in the 100 breast at the 2012 and 2013 Championships, and was second in the race as a freshman in 2011.
• Larson has been oh-so-close in the 200 breast but never a winner -- she was second in 2011 and third in 2012 and 2013.
• Larson was the NCAA and American record-holder at both distances until Notre Dame junior Emma Reaney erased Larson's record in the 200 breast at the 2014 ACC Championships.
• Adams was the NCAA runner-up in the 200 fly to Katinka Hosszu in 2011 and 2012 before breaking through for the NCAA title in 2013.
• Both Adams and Larson were 2012 U.S. Olympians and they were the first Aggies to make Team USA in individual events. Larson went on to place sixth in the 100 breast and earn a gold medal with the 400 medley relay, while Adams placed fifth in the 200 fly for the highest individual finish for a current A&M swimmer in London.
Experienced Aggies
Of the 13 Aggies that contributed points to 2013's fourth-place finish, 10 will be making return trips to the NCAA Championships in 2014.
Many Happy Returns
(top 16 at 2013 NCAA Championships)
+Cammile Adams – 400 IM, 200 fly
+Kelli Benjamin – 800 free relay, 400 free relay
+Sammie Bosma – 200 free relay, 400 free relay
+Erica Dittmer – 200 free relay, 200 IM, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay
+Sarah Henry – 500 free, 400 IM, 800 free relay, 1,650 free
+Lili Ibanez – 200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 free, 800 free relay, 100 free, 400 free relay
+Breeja Larson – 200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay, 100 breast, 200 breast
+Caroline McElhany – 200 free relay, 200 IM, 400 medley relay,
+Ashley McGregor – 200 breast
Maureen McLaine – 500 free, 800 free relay, 1,650 free
+Paige Miller – 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay, 100 fly, 100 back
Tess Simpson – 200 medley relay, 100 back, 200 back
Rebecca St. Germain – 1m diving
+ -- denotes returnees
Transfer of Power
Three of the Aggies' 16 qualifiers started their collegiate careers at other schools before transferring to Texas A&M.
• Sophomore Colleen Konetzke is in her first season at A&M in 2013-14 after spending her first season at Wisconsin.
• Senior Melanie McClure spent her first two seasons at Texas before transferring to A&M. She is a two-time NCAA qualifier with the Aggies.
• Senior Caroline McElhany also transferred from Texas and developed into as dangerous weapon in the 100/200 fly and 200 IM and with a variety of relays. She has earned nine All-America citations in her two previous trips to the NCAAs.
2014 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
Order of Events
TRIALS – THURSDAY, MARCH 20 (11 a.m.)
1. 200-yard Freestyle Relay
10-minute intermission starting immediately at the conclusion of the relay
2. 500-yard Freestyle
3. 200-yard Individual Medley
4. 50-yard Freestyle
20-minute intermission
6. 400-yard Medley Relay
5. One-meter Diving—Trials*
FINALS – THURSDAY, MARCH 20 (7 p.m.)
1. 200-yard Freestyle Relay
2. 500-yard Freestyle
3. 200-yard Individual Medley
4. 50-yard Freestyle
5. One-meter Diving—Finals*
6. 400-yard Medley Relay
TRIALS – FRIDAY, MARCH 21 (11 a.m.)
7. 200-yard Medley Relay
10-minute intermission starting immediately at the conclusion of the relay
8. 400-yard Individual Medley
9. 100-yard Butterfly
10. 200-yard Freestyle
11. 100-yard Breaststroke
12. 100-yard Backstroke
20-minute intermission
14. 800-yard Freestyle Relay—All but last two heats of time finals
13. Three-meter Diving—Trials*
FINALS – FRIDAY, MARCH 21 (7 p.m.)
7. 200-yard Medley Relay
8. 400-yard Individual Medley
9. 100-yard Butterfly
10. 200-yard Freestyle
11. 100-yard Breaststroke
12. 100-yard Backstroke
13. Three-meter Diving—Finals*
14. 800-yard Freestyle Relay—Last two heats of time finals
TRIALS – SATURDAY, MARCH 22 (11 a.m.)
16. 200-yard Backstroke
17. 100-yard Freestyle
18. 200-yard Breaststroke
19. 200-yard Butterfly
20-minute intermission
21. 400-yard Freestyle Relay
20. Platform Diving—Trials*
15. 1,650-yard Freestyle—All but last heat of time finals
FINALS – SATURDAY, MARCH 22 (7 p.m.)
15. 1,650-yard Freestyle—Last heat of time finals
16. 200-yard Backstroke
17. 100-yard Freestyle
18. 200-yard Breaststroke
19. 200-yard Butterfly
20. Platform Diving—Finals*
21. 400-yard Freestyle Relay
[Note 1: A consolation final immediately shall precede the championship final for each event except the 1,650-yard freestyle and diving events. Eight lanes will be used in all swimming events.]
[Note 2: The 1,650-yard freestyle event will begin at approximately 4:45 p.m., with the last heat of the preliminaries to end at approximately 6 p.m.]
[Note 4: Awards ceremonies will be held immediately after the championship final of that given event.]
[*Note 5: For a detailed schedule of diving, refer to Rule 6-2-2.]