Jenny Strom finished 13th in the prelims of the 100 breaststroke and will swim in the consolation finals later on Friday night.
9:03 a.m. – Good morning everyone! We are back in the Conroe Natatorium for day three of the NCAA Championships. I have assumed my standard place in the media room while the team warms up. Just like how Gustavus claimed its place on the pool deck the first morning, so do members of the press in the media room. It’s a country music playlist at the pool this morning, which is to be expected, I guess.
It’s overcast, misty, and roughly 70 degrees in The Woodlands region of Houston this morning. It appears as if that weather will hold like this the rest of the day. Once again, the Texas heat eludes us.
The team was wide awake once again for its walk at 7:00 a.m. We have reached the halfway point of the NCAA Championships and the women appear to have found a newfound sense of energy. Last night’s performances lifted the team’s spirit and the women are ready to attack this session.
The team met at 8:15 a.m. prior to departing for Conroe. Coach Carlson commended the Gusties on a great performance Thursday night. He was pleased with how the team responded to adversity and is happy to see them take care of the little things – something that was discussed extensively yesterday.
Coach Weyandt told the group to keep it going and to take advantage of the momentum. Last night was the boost the squad needed and now it’s time to build on it.
Coach Lindstrom’s message was of thanks and appreciation. He thanked the group and discussed how lucky he is to have an opportunity to see such dynamic athletes compete. He commented on the positive attitude of the team and said that he is having a blast just being able to be here and watch them swim.
These seven swimmers are good. Really good. So good in fact that they make everything look easy – a common trait amongst high-level athletes. In last night’s recap of the finals, I used a quote from coach Carlson about Katie Olson’s performance in the 400-medley relay. Below is directly what I wrote.
“I’m excited for the rest of the meet especially after seeing how the women responded to a less than stellar morning,” Carlson added. “The 400-medley relay was indicative of that with all but Katie Olson going faster tonight.”
Carlson was quick to point out that although her split wasn’t faster, Olson was the difference in the race. “Being the veteran and true captain that she is, Katie stood on the blocks recognizing that Kate Reilly was out of gas with 10 yards to go. Despite the slower relay exchange, she was able to chase down two different teams to lead the group to a first place finish in the heat and a ninth place performance overall. It just shows how smart she is and how far experience and being able to handle pressure goes at this level.”
Carlson was skeptical on whether it was appropriate for a formal press release, but I made the decision to include it anyway. Olson’s decision in that relay is typical of what we’ve seen from her throughout her collegiate career. Her ability to recognize the situation and react to it appropriately are two of the elements of her athletic makeup that have allowed her to become a nine-time All-American. That seemingly small detail is an aspect of this sport that fans oftentimes don’t recognize in real time. It’s something I was in the dark about and I was filming the race from five feet away. Katie Olson is truly the silent assassin of this team. She is calm and soft-spoken yet carries herself with presence and confidence.
The performances of the seniors yesterday are typical of what you see at this meet. When the stage gets bigger, seniors always seem to be the ones leading the charge. With two days to go, we’ve just tapped the surface of this.
Today, Jenny Strom gets her chance in the 100 breaststroke. The reigning MIAC Swimmer-of-the-Year hasn’t lost a breaststroke race in a while, so this morning will be fun. If you are looking for intensity to get you going this morning, look no further than the demeanor of Jenny Strom.
Leah Anderson also joins the party after two days of waiting. Leah will help out Michelle Campeau, Olson, and Strom in the 800-free relay to finish the morning. The 800-free relay is a timed final so the Gusties get just one crack at it.
I hope everyone is enjoying the blog. Thanks to all of you who have reached out with kind words for the team and coaches. I also received some good feedback on the All-Swim Cap Team yesterday.
As I close my first post of the morning I have to give a couple shout outs. First, thanks to Morgan Field and Alissa Tinklenberg who have been keeping up and checking in from time to time. You two are true diehards and I wish you were here with us! Second, shout out to Scott Moe on Donut Friday back at Gustavus! Thanks for the kind words and enjoy the sugar rush this morning!
My last shout out is to senior women’s hockey player Courtney Boucher. I don’t have an opportunity to do this often so I will take advantage of this blog as a medium to publically congratulate her. Courtney, or “Bouche” – pronounced BOO-sh – was named to the AHCA All-America Team yesterday. She has worked in the sports information office for the last three years and has become a true friend of mine. Courtney made a career out of hard work, doing her job, and leading by example. She joins an elite group of Gustavus All-Americans and is completely deserving of such an honor. She wasn’t flashy and wasn’t one to light up the scoresheet, but when it comes to intangibles – doing the little things that help the team win – nobody was better than Courtney. She joins an elite group of Gustavus All-Americans and is deserving of such a prestigious honor. Congrats Bouche!
Wow, long first post. It’s almost time to get going. Below are the live links for today. I will be checking in periodically throughout the morning.
11:10 a.m. – Jenny Strom just finished her 100 breaststroke and earned a spot in tonight’s consolation finals with a 13th place finish overall. In talking to the coaches after, it sounds like Strom pushed hard and lost rhythm in the last stretch of the race. It’s amazing to me how the coaching staff can recognize such fine details and can break down strokes and pacing so quickly.
The 800-free relay will cap off the morning in a little bit.
11:44 a.m. – The Gusties are done for the morning. They finished eighth in the 800-free relay with a time of 7:37.60. The coaches were happy with the swim and said that this was the best the team has performed in this event in a long time. Spirits are still high as the girls go through their cool down.
I will check back in for the last time this morning when we get back to the hotel.
12:13 p.m. – I am back in the hotel following this morning’s session. This will be short. Not a lot was said after it was all said and done and that is because I get the sense that both the athletes and coaches know what needs to be done from here on out. The staff was more than pleased with the 800-free relay and happy it came away with points – something that Gustavus has not done at this meet for several years. This was a light day in terms of swims, so there isn’t a whole lot to report.
Coach Carlson is taking advantage of the afternoon break and just left the room to go for a run. I am working on my formal recap and a video of the 800-free relay. Fair warning, it’s a long race and the video will be long too.
I am signing off for now and will report back upon my return to the pool later this afternoon. I’m excited to see what Jenny does tonight. She’s a gamer who thrives in situations such as this. Tonight is going to be fun.
Thanks for following and go Gusties!