From a Feb 21 article http://www.texassports.com/sports/w-swim/spec-rel/022112aaa.html

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"I feel very confident about where the group is. I think the work we've put in is exceptional, and it's a mature group," Brackin said.

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"We're in a good spot. People are having fun and staying relaxed, because you can definitely psyche yourself out and get too worked up and anxious," said senior workhorse Karlee Bispo, a 15-time Big 12 Champion who last year posted three top-four performances at the NCAA Championships. "This is a high-emotion meet, and one that's very close. I think it will bring out the best in a lot of swimmers."

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Awesome swimming by A&M - the only team that showed up focused on this meet on either side.

Not that either team is gunning for the NCAA title but...

The bad news is that probably none of the 4 free relays have earned NCAA invites. Someone correct my math if I'm wrong...seems like Sammie Bosma and Henrik Lindau are going to have trouble getting in, saving some last chance swims (might have missed a spot where either is getting in??)

Men should be fine - Amini can probably pick up those spots if he needs to, or maybe Wagner. Women's free relays might move out of scoring position.

Who are the best options to finish those "assembled" relays next month??

Incredible job by both teams. The girls and Steve never cease to amaze me. What an asskicking.

I noticed there weren't any quotes in the Texas press release tonight....lol

People that are definitely in the meet that can swim sprint free relays are McElhaney, Pavlin, Dittmer, Larson and Miller. We'd be 'OK' in the 200 and 400. Forget about the 800. McLaine, Adams and two of the above perhaps?

I'd like to see the 200 free relay timetrialed to keep some of the above girls from swimming beaucoup times NCAA's (not to mention it would be great to have more girls). The more depth we have the better.

One note on Swimmer of the Meet: Cammile, Stafford, and McLaine actually scored more points than Breeja individually and had the same amount of titles...but obviously we all are well aware just how meaningful that one swim of Breeja's was. Looks like it made the most impact on the coaches. Just wanted to point out how great a meet those other three had.

Thumbs up all-around on this meet. Probably swam up to the best of our ability better than any team since 2009 (was quite shocked how close we made that meet; on paper we should've been skunked without Alia, Julia, Kristen and Jaele) or 2007 (the one none of us will ever forget).

LOB - well said.

We won with a great across the board effort. I don't think we have seen the best of Camille, McLaine, and certainly Larson yet.

I can only imagine how dead Brackin's team bench was at the end. They surely thought thay had this meet in the bag. But they only got good swims from Bispo, Sogar, Leneave, Pawlowski. Gingrich was non-existant and her 16:46 1650 reads like someone either demoralized or ill.

Yet Leneave and Pawlowski have both swum faster 500s and/or 1650s before arriving at Texas. Gretchen Jacques, a very good high school breaststroker swam at her previous best times.

Our girls, up and down the roster continue to improve from very good high school swimmers to NCAA swimmers.

There is something fundamentally wrong with what Brackin is doing. Could be technical (tapering or actual training), or scoial (somehow generates poor team chemistry).

Bultman is the opposite - he somehow gets it right, now with his 3rd assistant coach.

Special mention for Janie Potvin destroying the Big 12 record in the platform not once but twice. 370+ points twice in the same day is something special.

[This message has been edited by halco87 (edited 2/26/2012 6:00p).]

Any word on the time trial relay yesterday? They could go again next weekend if they came up short. Good luck Ags and congrats!

swim champs

Spice - Honestly, looking at results and history I think Brackin doesn't get their training and taper right. Their in season performance is a bit too consistent and a bit too good.
Her main claim to fame is her tenure at Auburn and Kirsty Coventry.

When at Auburn, she was an assistant and moved up to 'co-head coach' of a team that was already a powerhouse. All she had to do was follow the same season plan that had already been churning along for a few years. Alongside David Marsh, I don't think she made a huge amount of the decisions there.

With regards to Kirsty, I've been fortunate enough to meet and spend some time with her before.
I'll tell you what anyone who's ever met her will tell you: She doesn't NEED a coach.
Should she have one? yes, but she's one of the most determined and independent people I've ever met. You could almost put money on the fact that if Kirsty thought she needed more or less rest, she would do it regardless of what her coach said.

If tu had done their homework or whoever was hiring their head coach knew swimming as well as they should, I don't think she would have been hired. Unfortunately for them, that's rarely the case when it comes to swimming. The higher-ups go off resume and resume alone because they don't know the sport. Fair enogh, but it's biting them in the @$$ now....

I was told that if Gail Goestenkors can hang around this long, Kim Brackin will be allowed to hang around too. Chris Petrucelli, the soccer coach, was fired last fall. But he is male, and the wowen's AD is not.

Aquabullet - I think you are probably correct. I think Brackin's team's poor spring performance (all but last year) is too consistent to chalk up to anything but poor sports science. There is something wrong with the way she trains her team for the championship season. Last weekend I think only Sogar's 200 was a best time for the big guns. Some of the freshmen may have had best times, if but probably not buy much.

I have believed for a while that Tucker was done before she got to college. Too many Randy Reese girl swimmers just don't have anything left for college. As a parent of athletes, I'd be very concerned that my athlete was let down by their coaching. Skylar Smith, Spindrift, etc. were top swimmers in Texas. And are they really getting anywhere?

Time trial was unsuccessful. Only the men have one more weekend. Women's qualifiers come out this week. The meet starts in 2.5 weeks.

Steering the conversation back into an exciting direction:

Womens Events most likely to score:
400Med Relay - Simpson, Larson, McElhanny, Pavlin
200Med Relay - Simpson, Larson, Miller, Dittmer
100Back - Miller, Simpson
100Breast - Larson
200Breast - Larson
100Fly - McElhanny, Miller
200Fly - C.Adams, McElhanny, Medrano
200IM - Pavlin
400IM - C.Adams
500Free - McLaine, C.Adams
1650Free - McLaine, A.Adams
1M - Potvin, Patrick, St.Germain
3M - Potvin, St.Germain
Platform - Potvin

Team:
Miller, Simpson, Larson, Medrano, McElhanny, Pavlin, Dittmer, C.Adams, A.Adams, McLaine, Potvin, Patrick, St.Germain (?)

Aggie Women's Free relays are looking unlikely to get picked up. Do you think they'll have enough individual scorers to pull them through?
I predict a Top 10 finish.. Many stars but none in the right place (Sprint Free)

Mens Team
Ariens, Fonua, Loncaric, Dalton, Wagner, Schweitzer, Nel...Troskot (?)

Mens Events Likely to Score:
200Med Relay - Ariens, Fonua, Loncaric, Troskot/Dalton
400Med Relay - Ariens, Fonua, Loncaric, Dalton
800Free Relay - Schweitzer, Wagner, Loncaric, Dalton
100Back - Ariens (dark horse, but not out of the realm of possibility)
100Breast - Fonua (again, possible)
100Fly - Loncaric
50Free - Dalton
100Free - Dalton
1M - Nel
3M - Nel
Platform - Nel

200Med Relay on the bubble. Will they go to last chance? Where will they end up at NCAA's?
It'll be a shame if Troskot doesn't make it to the meet as the Men could have fairly decent 200/400 Free Relays. Without him, top 10 is looking grim.

[This message has been edited by meeka12 (edited 2/27/2012 4:55p).]

St. Germain will get through most likely. We always have a killer zone and bring back a ton of spots.

Women will be top 10. Not having the free relays will hurt but the medleys are ready for primetime. Our diving and swimming individuals will come close, if not, rack up more individual points than at any time in our history and will make up for the free relays...and I think we can piece together a 200 free relay that will score anyway.

I have no idea on the guys. I think (but don't know for sure) that they may have rested the bulk of their roster but a couple guys might continue to get faster. Bottom line is a lot of those guys will make the meet which is better than ending their season in Missouri. With the lower participation numbers, their relays stand a much better chance of scoring when pieced together vs. the girls. I think Grant will be a monster on the boards again and get them in position to be top 10. The swimmers are going to need to take the points he gives them and run with it.

Troskot should get in on 200 medley. They're 9th right now, will get jumped by Cal and Stanford at Pac 12's. That leaves room for one last chance swim to bump them down and they're still top 12 and in. Looking good there.

I think if anyone wasn't rested, it's Dalton. 1:37 in the 200 free? He was a 1:35 last year. If he does that again this year, it could very easily score. Half of the scorers in that race last year graduated, and at least 3 more scorers aren't back this year for one reason or another. So he was 20th last year, and 11 ahead of him are gone.

Has there been any discussions about dual meets with the Texas girls? I know that Eddie Reese told Jay that they wanted to keep A&M in the rotation. Brackin might not be thinking that far ahead.

But swimchamps, what could she possibly recruit off of then??

Exactly aquabullet. We win four Big 12 titles in six years but only beat them twice in dual meets during our run? F them. The only reason we should ever swim them again is to save money on a road trip. No point in sullying our W/L record any more to a paper tiger who rests for dual meets in early November.

well said!

School record for Frank in the 400IM 3:47.7. That should be good enough to go to NCAAs.

After Pac 12's, that's going to leave him 20th. Florida State guy bumps to 21st.Usually about 22 make it. WIll be close. Three second time drop - nice.


[This message has been edited by AGBlastoff (edited 3/2/2012 9:05p).]

Unfortunately a Mizzou 400IMer time trailed and beat Frank's time by .03.