Illescas scores Olympic Trials qualifying time
July 15, 2006 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Wisconsin sophomore Jennifer Illescas swam an Olympic Trials qualifying time in the 200-meter butterfly, while eight other members of the University of Wisconsin swim club posted US National qualifying times Friday at the Janet Evans Invitational at the McDonald 's Swim Stadium.
The meet, which features 11 former U.S. Olympians, is being held on the campus of the University of Southern California this weekend. The UW swim club has qualified nearly 25 athletes for the USA Swimming Championships which will be held Aug. 1-5 in Irvine, Calif., to wrap up the summer club season.
'We swam really well tonight,' UW swim club coach Eric Hansen said. 'We made a bunch of US National cuts. I think we were a lot faster today, and that should bode well for the rest of the weekend.'
Illescas (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) led the way for UW, posting a time of 2:16.41 in the finals to better her prelims time by over one-half second and place 10th.
Former Badger Carly Piper, a 2004 Olympian, posted UW's best finish by placing fifth in the 100 freestyle. Her time of 57.51 earned her one of eight national qualifying marks picked up by the UW swim club Friday. Piper also earned a national qualifying time in the 400 free.
Senior Susan Johnson (Toledo, Ohio) also posted a national qualifying time with an eighth-place finish in the 200 backstroke.
On the men's side, former Badger Adam Mania and junior Brett Koerten (Sevierville, Tenn.) highlighted UW's effort.
Mania placed 18th in the 100 freestyle event, just missing the Olympic trial qualifying time at 51.74. The 2005 UW graduate also made the US National time in the 200 backstroke.
Koerten placed seventh in the 200 butterfly to qualify for the US National meet with a time of 2:05.06. Teammates Mike Hopkins (Wilmington, Del.) and Timothy Liebhold also qualified in the 200 backstroke, placing 10th and 13th, respectively.
The Janet Evans Invitational continues on Saturday with the 200-meter freestyle, the 200-meter breaststroke, the 50-meter freestyle, the 400-meter individual medley, and the 800-meter freestyle relay. Preliminaries will begin at 11 a.m. with the finals at 7 p.m.
