Badgers Add Youth To Strong Core
October 08, 2002 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team will build on the strength of their freestylers in 2002-03, after winning all five individual freestyle events at the 2002 Big Ten Championships and breaking the Big Ten championship meet record in the 800 free relay. The Wisconsin men's and women's swimming and diving team opens its 2002-03 season Saturday with a dual meet versus UW-Stevens Point at 10 a.m.
"Traditionally, we've been a strong freestyle team and we continue to build on that," head coach Eric Hansen said. "With this incoming class, we'll only be better."
The Badgers bring in 12 rookies, replacing only five departing seniors, to build on an already strong core of women swimmers and divers that finished third at 2002 Big Tens.
"Last year, our team was very small on both sides,' Hansen said. 'We have the nucleus in place to really take some quality athletes to the conference and national level.'
The Badgers return all their point scorers from their 14th-place finish at NCAAs, their fifth-straight top-20 finish.
Freestyle
Last year, the Badgers needed to fill the void left by 12-time All-American and 10-time Big Ten champion Ellen Stonebraker. Carly Piper answered the call, and then some. Piper won four Big Ten titles, two more than Stonebraker did her freshman year, and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Championship and Freshman of the Year. Piper broke Stonebraker's 500 freestyle Big Ten championship record and earned two All-American honors and one honorable mention. Piper gives the Badgers punch in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle events.
Not to be outdone by her fellow classmate, Shannon VanCuren came on strong at the end of the year, earning Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors in February. VanCuren went on to win the Big Ten title in the 100 free and earn All-American status in the 400 free relay.
Senior Jenny Lyman, the 2002 Big Ten champ in the 50 free, adds experience to the bunch and will help lead incoming frosh Sarah Hernandez, Emily Carpenter and Rebecca Johansson.
"Our freestyles continue to be the centerpoint of our team,' Hansen said.
Backstroke
The backstroke is another event in which a combination of youth and maturity will spell success for the Badgers in the 2002-03 campaign. Senior co-captains Sarah McCauley and Betsy Hassebroek, give the Badgers experience in the event.
"Our backstroke will be much better this season coming off a very strong summer for Sarah McCauley and Betsy Hassebroek,' Hansen said.
This summer, McCauley and Hassebroek competed in the Janet Evans Invitational and placed eighth and 18th, respectively, in the 100 back.
With the continued development of Molly Buhrandt and the addition of Sarah Hernandez and Lindsay Leech the Badgers will have more firepower in the sprint backstroke this season.
Breaststroke
The Badgers look to improve from last season with the addition of three freshmen; Anna Trinidad, Emilia Sarneke and Samantha Liebold. Junior Emily Pisula will be the primary breaststroker, which should provide leadership for the young trio.
Butterfly
The Badgers lose last year's senior co-captain Andrea Wanezek in the butterfly, but add two freshmen, Sarah Hernandez and Lindsay Leech, who will gain the opportunity to make immediate contributions for the squad.
"With the loss of Andrea Wanezek, we will look to build on our butterfly core," Hansen said.
Individual Medley
'The Badgers' individual medley core has potential to match the strength of our freestyle core,' Hansen said.
Leading off for the Badgers in this event is 2001 Big Ten champion and UW record holder in the 400 IM, Emily Pisula.
All-Americans Pisula and Bethany Pendleton, in addition to freshman Anna Trinidad, will look to match the scoring punch of the freestyle in the IMs.
'With the addition of Anna Trinadad, I see no reason why we shouldn't expect three point scorers at the Big Ten and NCAA level,' Hansen said.
Diving
'Our diving will be critical in order to take a stab at a Big Ten title,' Hansen said.
The Badgers lose seniors Siobhan and Megan Kernan, but have a talented mix of upperclass divers and rookies for the `02-03 season. Megan Balkenbush heads up the rookie class with Amanda Witte and Cassie Kubly. Sarah Wiezorek and K.C. Bunnell provide upperclass leadership.
'My goal for this year is getting them to be an integral factor in the Big Ten and the NCAAs,' diving coach Lee-Jay Strifler said.
Relays
'Never before have our free relays been stronger than they are right now,' Hansen said.
Four Badger relays set school records last season and two relays earned All-American status. The 800 free relay captured the Big Ten Championship meet record and the 400 free relay also captured a Big Ten title.
'Our ultimate goal is to score all five relays at NCAAs and eventually put all five in the top eight,' Hansen said.
