Three Big Meets in Three Countries for A&M Women’s Swimming & Diving Team This Week

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, July 2. THE Texas A&M women's swimming & diving team will span out across the continent and the globe this week with 15 of its current and former athletes competing in three different major meets in three countries starting on Saturday.

"I need to go to our vet school and get them to clone me because there are three different places I'd like to be this week," A&M head coach Steve Bultman said.

World University Games

Bultman will lead the United States women's team at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, from July 5-11. Bultman was named head coach of the U.S. women's team for the second time this decade after having served in the same role in Beijing, China, in 2001.

Bultman will have plenty of familiar company in Serbia as Americans Kristen Heiss (Casper, Wyo.) and Emily Neal (Plano) both qualified for the World University Games thanks to stellar performances at the U.S. Open last August. The Aggies will have a pair of Canadians present as both junior-to-be Melanie Dodds (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and sophomore diver Janie Potvin (Brossard, Quebec) will also be competing.

"It's definitely going to be exciting (getting to coach fellow Aggies at the meet)," Bultman said. "I had this honor eight years ago in Beijing when we had one of our girls, Monica Williams, go. None of us have been to Serbia before so that's going to be exciting for all of us. Any time you represent your country, I don't care if it's in tiddlywinks, it's a big deal. We're looking forward to it."

The World University Games will represent the first major competition for 2007 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year Kristen Heiss in nearly a year. Heiss, and 2008 Big 12 Swimmer of the Year Julia Wilkinson (Stratford, Ontario, Canada), underwent shoulder surgery in October of 2008.

"It's been a long year," Heiss said. "Julia and I were just talking the other day about how excited we are to race again and be tapered. We've had a lot of time to think about things and our time out of the competition pool has really helped us to remember why we love swimming so much. It's been a long year but I'm definitely ready to swim fast."

Heiss will be representing the United States for the second time in her career. She qualified for the Japan International Grand Prix in the summer of 2007.

"Last time making the Japan team was my whole focus but this time my whole focus (for the entire year) has been on competing at the World University Games," Heiss said. "I'm much better prepared this time than I was going to Japan."

Heiss will be joined on the U.S. team by A&M senior-to-be Emily Neal. Neal, like Heiss, qualified for the American squad that competed in Japan two years ago.

"I'm so excited," Neal said. "I was told I made the team in September so it's something I've been thinking about for a very long time. Every day it gets closer and I'm just counting down the days. I can't wait! It's a big honor to represent your country. It's something you dream about since you were a little kid."

Heiss and Neal are both thrilled to not only be representing their country but to be led by a familiar face.

"It's awesome to know that Steve will be there coaching us the whole time," Heiss said. "I trust Steve in everything he does. It makes me very comfortable knowing that he and Emily are both there."

Says Neal: "The Japan meet was such a quick turnaround. I found out I made it two weeks before it happened and it was just like ‘Off we go'. This time I have had a lot of time to prepare and I feel like I'm really ready for this meet. In Japan, I was worried because I was like ‘Was I going to have a coach,' ‘What was it going to be like,' and so on, so this meet I'm really excited to have Steve there and know that he'll know exactly what I need to do."

U.S. World Championship Trials

The largest contingent of Aggies will travel to compete at the United States World Championship Trials in Indianapolis, Ind., scheduled for July 7-11.

Current Aggie swimmers Ella Doerge (Clive, Iowa), Melissa Hain (Kingwood), Hannah Kinder (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Lindsey King (Beaverton, Ore.), Megan Latone (Austin), Maria Sommer (Brenham), and Sarah Woods (Birmingham, Ala.) are scheduled to compete as is former team member and 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Christine Marshall (Newport News, Va.).

"I think it's really great that we have (the kind of team that could have so many teammates at so many important meets)," Hain, a two-time co-captain, said. "A lot of people can't say that they have three different meets going on and at that level. I also think it's awesome that Steve's going to be head coach over there at the World University Games. It'll be kind of hard to keep up with everyone but it's going to be nice to be all swimming at the same time and to be able to look at results and be like ‘Look how fast she went!'

Hain is looking forward to what will likely be her final long course, or summer, season of swimming.

"(The girls going to US trials) haven't really talked a lot about the meet but I feel like it's going to be a lot of fun. It's all about the experience. We had a lot of girls that had breakthrough seasons in short course so it's going to be real exciting to see how well they're going to swim shaved and tapered at this meet. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just going to let it go. For me, it's my last long course season and I just really want to go out with a bang."

Canadian World Championship Trials

The Aggies will have 2008 Olympian Julia Wilkinson and a pair of talented signees competing at the Canadian World Championship Trials in Montreal from July 8-11.

Wilkinson competed at her first major competition since the Olympics a few weeks ago, winning the 200-meter individual medley at the Canada Cup, a meet held in the same pool that the trials will be contested in.

"(Heading into the Canada Cup) I didn't really know what to think because I had a lot of things sort of working against me at that point," Wilkinson said. "I'd been really sick the week before, then also coming off surgery, and not to mention all the pressure of everyone wanting to see how I was going to swim. I was really happy with winning an event and re-establishing myself."

Wilkinson will swim the 100 and 200-meter freestyles, 50 and 100-meter backstrokes and the 200-meter individual medley. Wilkinson will also be competing alongside incoming A&M freshmen Kendra Chernoff (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and Tess Simpson (Ingleside, Ontario). Both soon-to-be Aggies were members of the Canadian Junior World Championship team last year.

"I talked to Tess two weeks ago and she's all excited," Wilkinson said. "I'm excited to see those girls and get them down here, not just because they're talented but also because they're good girls. It's going to be awesome. As far as this week goes, it definitely will be hard without Steve around but I'll be ready for what comes my way."

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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