Six Tiger Swimmers Travel to Olympic Trials |
CLEMSON, SC - Six former, present, and future Tiger swimmers will compete for a spot
on the 2008 USA Swimming Olympic Team at the Olympic Trials during the week of June 29- July 6 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE. The six entrants are the most for Clemson since 1988, when 19 Tigers made the trip. Head Coach Chris Ip, and Assistant Coaches Lance Asti and Ron Turner will also join the student-athletes in Omaha. Said Ip, "We are proud to send a strong contingent of Tigers to represent Clemson at the Olympic Trials. This meet showcases the top 10% of swimmers in the USA. This group of Tigers is testament to the status of the Clemson swimming program and will help us continue to draw well-rounded student-athletes" The official site of the USA Swimming Olympic Trials is: http://www.usaswimming.org/usasweb/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1062&Alias=rainbow&Lang=en Television Coverage of the Trials will air from 8:00-9:00 p.m. each day on NBC or USA. The full schedule is: The six student-athletes making the trip are: Michelle Parkhurst ? Senior ? Vienna, VA 100 back: Mon. June 30, 11 a.m., 200 free: Tue. July 1, 11 a.m. Rising senior captain Michelle Parkhurst will compete in the 100 back and 200 free at the trials. She won ACC titles in both events and finished in the top 20 in the NCAA in each as well, earning honorable mention All-America honors in the 200 free. The ACC meet MVP is currently ranked 47th in the nation in the 100 back, and 82nd nationally in the 200 free. Tom Recko ? Junior ? Wakefield, MA 200 back: Wed. July 2, 11 a.m. Wakefield, MA native Tom Recko will represent the Clemson Tigers Aquatic Club at the trials in the 200 backstroke. The rising junior placed fifth in the ACC in the event, and is currently ranked 50th in the nation in the 200 back going into the trials, having posted a 2:04.50. All 200 back participants will be chasing World Record Holder Ryan Lochte for the right to represent the US in Beijing. Rachel Regone ? Senior ? Houston, TX 50 free: Sat. July 5, 11 a.m. Senior Captain Rachel Regone will partake in the 50 free, posting a 26.11 to move to 46th in the nation in the event. Regone was the ACC Runner-up in the 50 free, with gold-medalist Sara Smith of Virginia Tech also in the field. Less than a second and a half separate the first and 40th-ranked swimmers. 41-year-old American Record Holder Dara Torres leads the pack of talented sprinters. Maddie Tarantolo ? Freshman - Austin, TX 100 butterfly: Sun. June 29, 11 a.m. Incoming freshman Maddie Tarantolo of Austin, TX will represent Nitro Swimming in Omaha as she participates for a spot in the 100 fly. She qualified with a 1:01.97, and is ranked as the 87th best in the 100 fly in the United States. Tarantolo will immediately fill a need for the Tigers in the 100 fly upon arrival to campus. Matt Balderston ? Clemson '08 ? Chesapeake, VA 50 free: Fri. July 4, 11 a.m. May graduate and 2007-08 captain Matt Balderston will compete in the 50 freestyle, posting a qualifying time in May. Balderston is a school record holder having led off the 200 free relay in March. The former walk-on left Clemson as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Clemson history, with numerous academic and athletic accolades. Stephen Russell ? Clemson '08 ? Spring, TX 100 fly: Fri. July 4, 11:30 a.m. Another May graduate, Stephen Russell, qualified for trials with a 54.85 in the 100 fly at the Charlotte UltraSwim last month. Russell is ranked 51st in the nation and will be trying to chase World Record-Holder Ian Crocker and gold-medalist Michael Phelps for a spot on the team. This will be one of the most competitive races, as 107 qualifiers are within three seconds of the third sport in the event. In addition, incoming freshman Chris Dart, who has dual citizenship in the US and Great Britain, competed in British Olympic Trials in early April, finishing eighth in the nation in the 100 back. His times qualify him for US competition, but since he went through trials with Britain, he is unable to participate for the United States. His 56.65 at trials would rank in the top 30 in the United States. Dart is expected to contribute immediately when he gets to campus in the 100 back and 200 IM.
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