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Sophomore Monica Johannessen moved from Norway to swim at the University. Last season she finished first against Nebraska in the 100 meter freestyle with a time of 49.93 seconds.
Norwegian returns for second year
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
kcarpenter@kansan.com
Monica Johannessen had to adapt to college life a little differently than her teammates. When the sophomore swimmer decided to make the University of Kansas her new home, her first trip to Lawrence was a long journey. The Haugesund, Norway native left her family and friends behind for a chance to study abroad and continue her swimming career.
Johannessen committed to the Jayhawks without so much as a recruiting visit to Lawrence. She says the coaches, along with the beautiful campus, made her decision easier.
"I just talked to the coaches and they made me really confident,
and I just went for it," she said.
Her favorite event is the 100 meter freestyle, where she boasts a career best time of 49.93 seconds and a first-place finish against Nebraska last season. After failing to qualify for the NCAA championships as a freshman, Johannessen said she hopes her sophomore campaign is different. She had a qualifying time last year, but the time was set in Norway, not in America.
During her freshman campaign Johannessen placed in numerous events while earning a spot on the senior Norwegian National team. That gave her opportunities to travel home to see family, including her twin sister who also swims.
"The time obviously didn't
Being away from home presents challenges to Johannessen, who has been thrown out of her comfort zone while being in the United States. She said her qualifying time from back home was attributed to familiarity with her long time teammates and twin sister.
transfer over to KU, but I feel like I can make that time in Lawrence this year," she said. "My biggest goal this season is to qualify for the NCAA championships."
"I had confidence back home," Johannessen said. "I was able to swim with my sister as well, which really helped me out. It was also my first year of college so I was still getting used to everything."
Another year in Lawrence should help Johannessen gain
ALUMNI MEET
Day: Friday
Date: Sept. 24
Location: Lawrence
Time: 4 p.m.
confidence, who last season was a First Team Academic AllAmerican and was also named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll both semesters while studying psychology.
After graduating from the University, Johannessen plans on returning home to Norway to continue her career with the National Team.
Edited by David Cawthon
Big 12 realignment leaves mixed feelings
Also, Turner Gill won't draw the same lucky slate that helped Mark Mangino to an Orange Bowl. If he goes BCS bowling, it'll be with wins over the big guns of the South — Texas and Oklahoma are on the schedule every year from here out.
The revenue that both schools bring in — especially now that Bo Pelini has the Cornhuskers competing for BCS berths again — will also be missed by whoever is named athletics director, starting June 30 next year, per Tuesday's announcement.
With only 10 schools, the league will go to a double round robin schedule — eighteen conference games, with each team playing all the others twice.
So no, I'm not happy they're leaving. But, man, I am geeked for basketball next year. I almost wish I could be around one more year to cover it for The Kansan.
Nebraska fans are always listed among the most hospitable in the country and, for my money, Boulder is the best town in the Big 12. (If you haven't been, picture Lawrence with a mountainous backdrop.)
Texas twice. Baylor twice.
Maybe Bill Self can get his record in Stillwater to .500 if he gets a crack at his alma mater every year.
College basketball fans have loved the Big East over the last few years — even though late finishes have been cutting into the beginning of Kansas games on ESPN. Every week in the Big East it seems like there's at least one
I'm not going to say I'm happy to see Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12. That'd be crazy.
There will obviously be bottom feeders — I'm skeptical that new coach Fred Hoiberg can turn around Iowa State and Jeff Capel won't keep getting top-tier talent to Oklahoma if he keeps losing — but there will be seven, eight or nine teams every year that are in serious contention for NCAA Tournament bids.
Last year, for example, according to the RPI, there were eight Big 12 teams that ranked above the worst at-large team.
If they play each other twice, that's 14 games that are eminently losable for each one of those teams. There won't be another undefeated team in the Big 12 because there will be just too much competition.
And that will make the games all the sweeter.
It looks like the Big 12 (they really need to get a new conference name, by the way), will be in that upper echelon come the 2011-2012 season. This conference has always been in the discussion of which is the best in the country for basketball. Drop the bottom two teams in the league, and it just may not be a discussion anymore.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
top-10 matchup and no games off.
Edited by Abby Davenport
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