PAGE 60
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012
ROWING
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Rowing team looks for more consistency
CHRIS SCHAEDER
cschaeder@kansan.com
The goal for the Kansas Rowing team is to avoid the late-season struggles that plagued them after a great start to last year.
Head coach Rob Catloth said that these late season struggles were a result of the team's youth.
"We had a young team last year, predominantly a freshmen and sophomore squad and I think early in the season they had good speed and times," Catloth said. "As the season went on they ran out of gas or had a hard time maintaining where they were and that happens when you're young."
44 of the 65 women on the team last spring were freshmen and sophomores, which increases the importance of gaining valuable rowing experience.
With only five seniors graduating from last season's team, the
hope is that the team will grow and mature in order to maintain their consistency throughout the season and avoid last season's falloff.
Cathloth signed nine student-athletes to national letters of intent in the spring. This list included: Martha Belot, Olivia Cowan, Kelsey Dick, Maggie Duncan, Gabrielle Hacker, Brieannon Mingus, Jessica Scheer and Tessa Scott.
There were also three student-athletes signed during the fall period: Breeona Foster, Casey Kelly and Briana Piña.
The Kansas rowing team had another type of addition in the offseason with the hiring of Carrie Callen, a Kansas graduate who served as the graduate assistant and assistant coach for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes from 2006-2012.
"As our new recruiting coordinator she's been doing a really good job recruiting," Catloth said, "having the experience of being at a Big Ten school for six years should really help our team."
Sophomore Erin Brogan looks to be one of the standouts this season after an impressive freshmen season where she was in the team's top boat for much of the season. This summer Brogan was invited to camp put on by U.S. Rowing for the top 20 freshmen rowers in the country.
The Kansas Cup, which is the annual competition with Kansas State in the spring, is one of the most important of the season and one the Jayhawks look to be more competitive in after being swept last season. The team also looks to improve in the Big 12 Championships after winning a race in the competition.
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
Members of the he Kansas' Varsity Four stretches their lead over Kansas State in a race at the 14th Annual Governor Cup. The rowing team returns most of the group from last season.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Senior Rebecca Swank swims in the 1650 yard freestyle against Illinois. The swimming begins their season on Sept. 28 with an intrasquad meet.
Freshmen participate in olympic trials
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
CHRIS SCHAEDER cschaeder@kansan.com
The Kansas swimming & diving team hopes to bounce back from a disappointing 2011-2012 season. Last year was particularly packed with several swimmers preparing for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.
the collegiate season.
Head coach Clark Campbell said that last season was stressful because the team had to focus on a grueling collegiate season in the Big 12 Conference along with the aforementioned Olympic Trials.
"Last year wasn't one of our better years," Campbell said. "We were all over the place because normally, you want to have a really good focus on the collegiate season, but because it's an Olympic year and we had another thing on our mind."
According to coach Campbell, the goal for this year's team is to focus on the task at hand, which is
The team only loses four seniors from last season and a new, strong senior class of eight headlined by captains Rebecca Swank, Alyssa Rudman and Brooke Brull will lead this year's team.
Campbell also said he had a dynamic freshmen class coming in this year that has several impactful newcomers.
This incoming freshmen class includes three swimmers and one diver.
Two of the incoming freshmen swimmers, Hailey Molden and Chelsis Miller, swam at the 2012 U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials.
Bryce Hinde, another incoming freshmen swimmer, made her Olympic Trial cut in late July.
Meredith Brownell was the lone diving signee from the incoming 2012-2013 class and is expected to be an immediate contributor for Kansas.
"She is probably our top freshmen diver coming in and she has national standards," Campbell said.
This small, talented class of incoming freshmen will be counted upon to help replace the four departed seniors from last season.
Coach Campbell believes that the freshmen and the senior class will help the team improve from last season
"We have a big senior class this year, with the eight of them,"
Campbell said, "We don't lose a heck of a lot. It's going to be an exciting year for us, we have a lot of potential."
Some of the highlights on the Jayhawks schedule this season include a training trip to Hawaii over winter break, a meet against the University of Minnesota in Lawrence and a meet against Big 12 newcomer TCU.
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior Brooke Brull competes in the 200 yard backstroke at Robinson Natatorium. Brull will be one of the team captains this season.
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