1997-98 Women's Swimming Outlook
Last year, Tim Hill coached a team that was limited in depth, but not in talent. The Arizona State women's swimming team returns five NCAA athletes, with seven past NCAA All-Americans and three Pac-10 top-five individual finishes, and has proved that it has the ability to be the best. The team placed 28th out of 40 at nationals with three swimmers placing in the top 20 in individual events. Attitude and team unity were also strong points of last year's team, which Hill said is one of the best teams he has coached. The team as a whole had good improvement throughout the year. Of the entire roster, 83% of the swimmers had lifetime bests during the 1996-97 season. This year's team will definitely be able to overcome some of the difficulties of last year.
"We are definitely a lot deeper this year," Hill said. "There is not one place where we are not better." This year's team, Hill believes, has better depth than any team he has coached in years. The entire team has made a lot of progress since last year, and Hill is eager to see who will step up and lead the team back into the top 10-15 at nationals.
As always, being in the Pac-10 puts ASU against some of the best teams in the nation. Four Pac-10 teams placed in the top 10 in the NCAA Championships last year. Since the inception of the NCAAs in 1982, six of the Pac-10 teams are ranked in the top ten overall, based on each year's finish.
The following is a stroke by stroke look at the Sun Devils:
Freestyle
Once again, the freestyle events will be one of the strong points for the
Sun Devil swimmers. More than half of the swimmers are capable sprinters that
can help the team in the 50 and 100 frees. "I think we have two individuals,
Erika Sohlen and Sarah Adams, who have a good chance at making it at
nationals," Hill said. Sohlen, one of the team's captains, led the team in the
50 free last year, and Adams posted the best time in the 100 free. Junior Heidi
Dick, a Senior National qualifier in the 50 and 100 free, was swimming a
lifetime best until a concussion took her out of action in the second semester.
Freshmen Anna Ericson and Angie Pomella are expected to see significant time in
the pool as well. Also showing promise in the 50 and 100 frees, are sophomore
Tennille Taylor and freshman Donella Adrian, who both have been called an
"untapped talent" by Hill.
All-American Casey Murphy leads the team in the middle distances. Murphy finished fifth in the 200 and 500 frees at the Pac-10 Championships last year, and she placed 14th in the 200 free at the NCAAs. Murphy, who scored for the first time in Senior Nationals this summer, is joined by sophomores Carolyn Adel and Adams, and freshmen Ericson and Abbla Younis. Junior Kelly Wilson is also expected to make a significant contribution in the 200 free, along with Anne Rogalla who is a very versatile swimmer.
The distance team is led by Adel, who the team in the 1000 free last year, and Murphy, who earned the best time in the 1650 free. Kelli Sasada and freshmen Jennifer Abbey, Jamie Rogers and Kendra Crossen give the team better depth, and are expected to contend for points in this year's Pac-10 Championships.
Backstroke
According to Hill, this event is the most improved event on the team.
Tiffany Houser, the top 100 backstroker last year, Gwynette Vath, who had some
of her some of her best times last year, and Adel, who led off the medley
relay, return to lead the team in the backstroke. Junior Camilla Johansson, who
placed ninth in the World Short Course Championships, freshman National scorer
Lauren Morelli and freshmen Sasada, Lesley Benko and Alison Lilly are also
expected to make a significant contribution in the backstroke. "This is an area
that I feel really good about," said Hill.
Breaststroke
Ann-Kristin Riiser placed fourth in the Pac-10 Championships in the
breaststroke last year, and is expected to be a big factor for ASU. Riiser, the
top 100 and 200 breaststroker for ASU last year, is joined by junior Carrie
Anderson, a Senior National scorer, sophomore Alyson Miller, who expects to
challenge for top honors, sophomore Kristen Gooding and freshman Abbey.
The Sun Devils swimmers will be looking to challenge for conference placements in both the 100 and 200 events, and Hill expects Angie Pomella to step up and make a contribution. The key to this event will be speed improvement, as all the breastsroke swimmers are outstanding in the 200 event.
Butterfly
Hill expects Houser, last year's top 100 butterflyer and team co-captain,
to return to nationals. Stephanie Elwonger is the number two flyer, and is
expected to see some competition from sophomore NCAA and World Championship
standout Amanda Clegg. Clegg dropped eight seconds to 2:01 in the 200 fly.
Freshmen Rebecca Machado and Jennifer Browne give ASU good depth in the
butterfly.
Individual Medley
"The IM's are probably some of our strongest events," Hill said. ASU
returns All-American Adel, who placed third in the 400 IM in the Pac-10
Championships, and 10th in the NCAAs last year, along with Clegg, who scored in
the 400 IM at the Short Course World Championships. In the 200 and 400 IM,
Adel, Houser, Johansson and Clegg will see the most time. Miller and Sasada
will add depth to the team.
Relays
The relay teams are expected to be better than last year's because of the
number of capable sprinters on the team. "There are five people, Murphy, Adel,
Ericson, Adams and Sohlen, who make the 200, 400 and 800 free relays a strong
point for ASU," Hill said. "There will be, however, a number of girls
challenging for those five spots."
Hill is looking for a number of swimmers to step up and challenge for the 200 and 400 medley relays. "Especially in the breaststroke," he said, "because our back, fly and free are all very much improved."
Diving
Mark Bradshaw enters his first season at the helm of the Arizona State
taking over for Ward O'Connell who retired after 23 years as ASU's head diving
coach. Bradshaw comes to ASU from Ohio University, and is looking to continue
ASU's tradition of a solid diving program. Last year, NCAA All-American Katrina
Pfeuffer led the Sun Devils at the conference meet, placing fourth in the
3-meter, and fifth in the platform and the 1-meter. She is expected to lead the
team this season as well.