UW to Compete Against Nation's Best
March 07, 2007 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Eight Badgers will represent the University of Wisconsin women's swimming and diving team at the NCAA championships March 8-10 at the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.
Last season, the Badgers had their highest finish in school history as they placed ninth with 146 points. Five of this year's swimmers competed in last year's championships as well.
For Wisconsin, which finished 18th in the final CSCAA poll, sophomore Yi Ting Siow appears to have the best chance of bringing home the school's first individual champion after winning three individual titles at the Big Ten championships. Siow, a native of Sembilan, Malaysia, was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week a conference record four times this year en route to being named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year and is also a two-time All-America selection.
Siow was the top finisher for the Badgers last year as she took fifth in the 200-yard IM (1:58.26). This year, Siow will be participating in the 200-yard IM, 400-yard IM, 200-yard breaststroke, 200- and 400-yard medley relays and the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays.
Also returning to the national meet is five-time All-American senior Susan Johnson (Toledo, Ohio). Johnson, who owns four school records and one Big Ten record, has momentum on her side after being a part of the 200-yard medley relay championship team and posting five other top-five finishes at the Big Ten championships. This weekend, Johnson will be competing in the 100-yard butterfly, 100- and 200-yard backstroke, 200- and 400-yard medley relays and 200- and 400-yard medley relays.
Other returnees for Wisconsin are senior Andrea Wiesner (Montrose, Colo.) and juniors Jackie Vavrek (West Chicago, Ill.) and Hannah McClurg (San Diego, Calif.). Wiesner will be competing in the 200- and 400-yard IM and the 800-yard freestyle relay. Vavrek, a two-time All-American who owns two school records, will be racing in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, 200- and 400-yard medley relays, and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays.
McClurg, an All-America honoree, will take part in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays.
Making their first appearances at the NCAA championships will be junior Katie Imhoff-Smith (Waukesha, Wis.), sophomore Christine Zwiegers (Somerset West, South Africa) and freshman Gabby Maddalena (The Woodlands, Texas). Imhoff-Smith, who was named first-team All-Big Ten, is competing in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and the 200- and 400-yard medley relays.
Zweigers, a second-team All Big Ten selection, will be racing in the 200-yard freestyle relay, while Maddalena, who was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week earlier this year, will be swimming in the 500- and 1650-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay.
For each day, preliminary rounds will begin at 11 a.m. with the finals set to start at 7 p.m. Live stats can be found by going to either ncaasports.com or gophersports.com.
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