Shenandoah, Texas – Pressure is a privilege.
It’s more than a motivational phrase for the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team; it’s a mentality. On the final night of the 2015 NCAA Championships held over the past four days in the Conroe ISD Natatorium, the pressure was on in the final women’s swimming event of the evening. In search of a top ten finish – the team’s goal since before the 2014-15 season began – Gustavus’s 400-freestyle relay knew what had to be done.
“There were three teams vying for a top ten spot heading into the final day,” said Head Coach Jon Carlson about Saturday’s nerve-racking finish. “All three teams were in the final relay and in the same heat set to compete in a head-to-head matchup. Bates was to our right and Chicago was in the lane to our left. Not only did we have to beat both teams, we needed to win the heat in order to finish in the top ten. All three teams were within .40 of a second of each other heading into the race so we knew it was going to be a battle. Basically, we needed something special.”
With two upperclassmen Katie Olson (North Oaks, Minn.) and Leah Anderson (Apple Valley, Minn.), and two rookies, Kate Reilly (Hastings, Minn.) and Michelle Campeau (Rochester, Minn.), the Gusties did something special.
“Michelle led off the relay and came in behind the other two teams, but we felt good because her time was faster than it was in the morning,” Carlson said about the race. “Leah Anderson’s leg was also faster than it was in the morning, but it only moved us into fourth, still trailing Bates and Chicago. Kate Reilly dove in and put together her best swim of the meet, catching everyone by the first turn. She kept the pedal to the floor the entire distance to give us a slight lead heading into Katie Olson’s anchor leg. Katie showed why she is a nine-time All-American and cruised into the wall by a full body length to secure our place in the top ten.”
The 400-free relay won the heat to finish ninth overall with a time of 3:25.84. The group improved on its prelim time of 3:27.32 and broke the school-record in the process.
By the end of the meet, Gustavus had scored 99.5 points to finish 10th overall. The Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team has now finished inside the top 10 four times, taking eighth (114 pts.) in 2010, 10th (98 pts.) in 2013, and seventh (154 pts.) in 2014.
The performance of the 400-free relay team would have been all for not if it wouldn’t have been for the earlier performances provided by seniors Katie Olson and Jennifer Strom (Rochester, Minn.).
Pressure is a privilege.
In the consolation finals of the 100 freestyle, Olson gave Gustavus momentum and gave the team the start it was looking for. With a seed time of 51.33 from the morning prelims, the North Oaks, Minnesota native came in fifth in the heat and 13th overall with a time of 51.19. Olson’s performance this evening matched her own school-record set nearly a year ago to the day at last season’s NCAA Championships.
“Katie knew that the tone would be set by her performance,” Carlson said about his senior sprinter. “As usual, she didn’t disappoint and reset the Gustavus record in the process. Very rarely do you come across an athlete who does all the little things correctly. She’s blossomed from a good swimmer to a great swimmer through hard work and sheer determination. Katie handles pressure better than anyone who has ever come through this program and this was yet another performance to add to that resume. She will go down as one of the greatest swimmers to ever grace a Gustavus swim cap.”
Following Olson’s performance came the 200 breaststroke where Jenny Strom looked to put the finishing touches on her already brilliant Gustavus career.
Pressure is a privilege.
As seniors usually do in big meets, Strom came through with her best individual swim of the week. She touched the wall in 2:18.44 to place second in the consolations finals, good for 10th overall.
“Jenny put together one of the finest races of her career exactly when the team needed it the most,” commented Carlson about Strom’s career-capping swim. “She’s a big meet swimmer who has consistently come through in the clutch when the team needed her most. Jenny has come from a talented but inexperienced freshman to a swimmer who has recorded marks that our program and conference won’t see in a long time.”
Olson, Strom, and the 400-free relay all earn All-America Honorable Mention honors thanks to their performances on Saturday night.
“Each team is different and each season comes with new sets of challenges,” said Carlson as he reflected back on the 2014-15 season. “This team’s goal since the start of the year was to finish inside the top ten and reestablish itself as a contender on the national stage. I’m proud of their performance and what they’ve accomplished in Texas. They have certainly secured their place in Gustavus swimming and diving history – becoming the fourth team to finish inside the top ten.“
“It should also be noted that all the teams that finished ahead of them, and several that finished behind, had bigger rosters,” concluded Carlson. “These seven individuals proved themselves against the best swimmers in the country and the coaching staff couldn’t be more pleased and proud of their effort.”
Comments
2 responses to “Women’s Swimming & Diving Finishes 10th At NCAA Championships”
you Jon’s Post-meet interview mixed up. It goes to the 200 Br. video.
This message is to the team: You were great. And better yet, it was clear that you had fun being there with one another.
This is a message to those who are trying to decide between Gustavus and other schools: If you want to be with a group that sticks together, works hard and has coaches that value every swimmer/diver, go to Gustavus. Ethan’s observation that the team was characterized by smiles was right on – doing your best every time you compete brings smiles no matter the result.