Swimmers Open 2008-09 Season Friday In College Station
10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Oct. 7, 2008
The Rice swim team opens its 2008-09 season Friday on the road in College Station against state rivals Texas A&M and North Texas. The double-dual meet is slated for 4:30 pm at the Student Rec Center Natatorium on the Texas A&M campus.
Rice returns a total of 16 letterwinners from last season's team that went 10-4 in dual meets, finished second in Conference USA and tied for 39th in the nation at the NCAA Championships. Two Owls, including senior sprinter Carlyann Miller, followed up the college season with an even more successful summer by competing in the 2008 United States Olympic Trials.
Head coach Seth Huston, now in his seventh year at the helm of the Rice program, stated that the team's preseason training has gone according to schedule. After all the workouts the team has done since the start of school, the Owls might be ready for something new. An actual meet against other teams may be just the thing the Blue & Gray needs.
"We have had a very good fall thus far," Huston said. "If the next six weeks go as well as the first, we will be right where I want us to be as a team. Our team has more depth and versatility this year. We are wide open on relays assignments and what individual events each individual will be focusing on.
"We probably will be best in the freestyle sprints and butterfly," Huston added. "I think all of our freshman have a chance to make big contributions to the team. It is to early to tell in what events, but they appear to have adjusted well and are training great. I think we have are best conference team ever. We just need some of our C-USA stars to step up and make it to the NCAA Championships."
Friday's season-opening meet features the 16-event format, with the 200 individual medley. The two relays will be the 200-medley and 200-freestyle. The following is an even-by-event preview of the Rice swim team for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.
FREESTYLE
The Owls have no shortage of talent in the freestyle. From the 50 to the mile, the Blue & Gray can line up and complete. Senior Carlyann Miller leads the way in the sprints. The standout from Fort Gibson, Okla., qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials over the summer. In addition to posting some of the top sprint times in school history, Miller often swam the lead leg of the team's freestyle relays. There's no substitute for experience and the Owls have plenty with senior Diane Gu and juniors Pam Zelnick and Megan Land. Zelnick was in the finals of the 50- and won the consolation of the 100-free at the C-USA championships. Gu is a former NCAA qualifier who was named the winner of the 2008 Joyce Pounds-Hardy Award as the Rice University female student-athlete of the year.
Opponents who overlook Rice in the intermediate and distance freestyle events do so at their own risk. The Owl trio of senior Caitlin Warner and sophomores Karen Gerken and Sarah Korellis finished third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the mile at the C-USA Championships. The same group scored almost as big in the 500 at the C-USA's and there's every reason to expect more of the same this season. Mix in some talented newcomers like freshmen Nicole Delaloye, Alex O'Brien, Louise Gliga, Shelby Bottoms and Alexandra Ernst and the team begins to flex some freestyle depth.
BACKSTROKE
Take your pick of either the 100 or 200-backstroke because the Owls can deliver a scoring punch in both events. A year ago five different Rice swimmers combined for top eight finishes at the conference championships. Senior Skylar Craig returns after breaking an 11-year old Rice record in the 100 (55.88). Sophomore Kait Chura finished among the top five C-USA swimmers in the 200 and the duo of Angela Wo and Justine Lin were in the top eight of the 100 & 200, respectively. Rice is anxious for the return of senior Jennifer Hill, a strong-willed competitor who sat out last season with an injury. Local standout Shelby Bottoms will get a chance to contribute here as well.
BREASTSTROKE
Team depth abounds for Rice this year through almost every event. The lone exception might be breaststroke where just three Owls handle most of the duty. There simply is no need for an excess of competitors in the breaststroke because the veteran trio of Pam Zelnick, Ashten Ackerman and Allyson Lemay are up to the challenge. Zelnick was fifth in the conference and has one of the top five times in school history in the 100. Ackerman made the C-USA finals of the 200 as a freshman. Not only has Lemay improved in each of her first two collegiate seasons, she scored for the team in conference in both events. Just two years ago Jennifer Hill had the second-fastest time in the 200 and could see some spot work here as well.
BUTTERFLY
After waiting in the wings for more than a year because of an injury, 2007 C-USA butterfly champion Erin Mattson is back in action. The sophomore from Highland, Ill., won the 200 league title two years ago with a time of 2:01.94. The good news is she has a lot of help this season. Skylar Craig is a top five finisher in the C-USA's 100-fly. Junior Angela Wo was eighth in the conference in the 100 and she was even better in the 200. Senior Natalie Kirchhoff is an experienced option for the butterfly, particularly the 200. Two explosive freshmen to watch are Alexandra Ernst and Louise Gliga. Coach Huston said the young flyers can continue the Owls' tradition of success in this event.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Sophomores Kait Chura, Ashten Ackerman and Sarah Korellis all scored for Rice in the I.M. last season at the C-USA Championships. The trio is back with a year of experience under their belts. The wildcard in the water is senior Jennifer Hill coming back strong. Hill was the team's top I.M. swimmer in both distances in 2007. The event may also be where the Owl newcomers will have the biggest impact the team. Three versatile newcomers, Shelby Bottoms, Alison Godbe and Alex O'Brien, are all accomplished performers on the club and high school levels and could see action right away.
RELAYS
What's not to like about Rice's relays? The Owls return all four members of its 200-medley relay that set a new school record on the way to winning the 2008 Conference USA championship. The school record in the 400-medley, set more than 10 years ago and tied once again in 2005, is officially on notice for a possible re-write. The Owls' improved depth gives coach Huston an opportunity to find the right mix of speed and competitiveness for each of the three freestyle relays. The 800 may feature a different lineup than recent years, but keep an eye on the 200 where all four racers are back after posting the second-best mark in school history.
Players Mentioned
