INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.? The University of Kentucky tallied three swimmers in the top-16 in the 50-freestyle in today?s morning preliminary heats of the 2007 ConcoPhillips USA National Swimming Championships.
Rising sophomore Eric McGinnis improved from a modest 88th seed in the event to place 13th overall with an amazing swim. McGinnis used a career-best time of 23.16, an Olympic qualifying time, doing the unthinkable to advance to tonight?s B-Final. The Raleigh, N.C., has consistently improved since his arrival in Lexington, and this solidifies the dramatic strides he?s taken in the sprint events.
Seniors Heather and Jenny Bradford are also among the top-16 in the country in the 50-free, which is no surprise to the Big Blue faithful. The sister-duo also placed in the top-16 in the collegiate ranks in March at the NCAA Championships and is one-two in Kentucky?s sprint records (50-free, 100-free and 100-fly). Jenny claimed a 26.02 time, just a shade off her career-best, to place 12th for the B-Final this evening. Heather tapped in 26.10, also just hundredths of a second off her top time.
The two will compete for ninth place tonight alongside former Wildcat Rachel Komisarz who placed 11th with a time of 26.00, just ahead of the Bradfords. All three times this morning are Olympic qualifying times. At last year?s ConcoPhillips National Championship Jenny took 16th overall in the event.
Also in the water today was Warren Grobbelaar and rising freshman Jenna Newsome. Grobbelaar who earned a top placement in the 100-butterfly earlier in the week took 45th in today?s 50-free. Grobbelaar clocked in a time of 23.66, good for a senior national qualifying time. Newsome placed 110th with a time of 27.59, a junior national B-cut.
Sophomore Alex Forbes, who was scheduled to swim the 50-free, did not compete in the event.
Tonight?s events wrap up the 2007 Championships. In the five nights of competition a current UK Wildcat has been among the finalists on four occasions.
Complete coverage of the Wildcats will be available upon completion of tonight?s events at www.ukathletics.com. Live video footage is available at www.usaswimming.org.
Wildcats Schedule at the 2007 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships
Tuesday
Event 2- 200 LC Butterfly
Joe Retrum (junior, Noblesville, Ind.)
88th (2:07.68)
Event 4- 200 LC Breaststroke
Will Vietti (senior, Thermopolis, Wyo.)
17th (2:16.65-OLYM)
Wednesday
Event 9- 100 LC Freestyle
Heather Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
70th (57.94-JR-A)
Jenny Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
72nd (57.96-JR-A)
Event 10- 100 LC Freestyle
Warren Grobbelaar (junior, Pretoria, South Africa)
49th (51.46-OLYM)
Eric McGinnis (sophomore, Raleigh, N.C.)
38th (51.22-OLYM)
Tyler Reed (freshman, Morgantown, Ky.)
89th (52.32-SCN)
Event 12- 200 LC Backstroke
Shane Eliason (junior, Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.)
27th (2:04.66-OLYM)
Thursday
Event 17- 100 LC Butterfly
Heather Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
12th (1:00.51-OLYM)
Jenny Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
33rd (1:01.84-OLYM)
Megan Pulskamp (sophomore, Spartanburg, S.C.)
56th (1:02.57-NATS)
Event 18- 100 LC Butterfly
Warren Grobbelaar (junior, Pretoria, South Africa)
23rd (54.80-OLYM)
Friday
Event 21- 200 LC Freestyle
Kyle Greene (sophomore, Cincinnati, Ohio)
43rd (1:52.87-OLYM)
Event 22- 100 LC Breaststroke
Lindsay Myhre (senior, Aurora, Colo.)
90th (1:15.10-JR-B)
Event 23- 100 LC Breaststroke
Will Vietti (senior, Thermopolis, Wyo.)
6th (1:02.56-OLYM)
Event 25- 100 LC Backstroke
Shane Eliason (junior, Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.)
40th (58.22-NATS)
Saturday
Event 30- 50 LC Freestyle
Heather Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
FINALIST
Jenny Bradford (senior, Groveport, Ohio)
FINALIST
Jenna Newsome (freshman, Kennesaw, Ga.)
110th (27.50-JR-B)
Event 31- 50 LC Freestyle
Alex Forbes (freshman, Orlando, Fla.)
DNS
Warren Grobbelaar (junior, Pretoria, South Africa)
45th (23.66-NATS)
Eric McGinnis (sophomore, Raleigh, N.C.)
FINALIST
