The Morning Swim Show, July 25, 2012: Tryshia Centeno Ready for New Life at Auburn After Successful Junior College Season

PHOENIX, Arizona, July 25. TRYSHIA Centeno is on her way to Auburn University after a stellar season at Indian River State College, and the Puerto Rico native joins today's edition of The Morning Swim Show.

Centeno talks about her great swims last March at the national junior college championships, including winning seven events. As most top junior college swimmers do, Centeno is moving up to Division I, and she talks about why the Auburn swim team seemed like a great fit for her. Be sure to visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Morning Swim Show Transcripts
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Tiffany Elias: This is the Morning Swim Show for July 25, 2012. I am your host Tiffany Elias and today in the FINIS Monitor is the national junior college female swimmer of the year, just completing her second year at Indian River and making big waves in the pool is Tryshia Centeno. Tryshia I am glad we can have you on the show today.

Tryshia Centeno: Thank you for having me.

Tiffany Elias: Alright, well you have had an unbelievable sophomore year out at Indian River. Congratulations on all your success.

Tryshia Centeno: Thank you so much.

Tiffany Elias: Alright. So winning a couple of awards just to sum up how well you did. You were the student athlete of the year. You were also the female NJCAA swimmer of the year. So overall what are your thoughts looking back on your second year with Indian River?

Tryshia Centeno: Well, I just have to say I am very proud of what I did. Everything is because of the work I did with Indian River team.

Tiffany Elias: Well, this was a really big year for you. You did so well at nationals. You won all three of your individual races. The 100, 200 breast and the 200 IM and you also had four titles in the relays. So it might be pretty exciting walking away with seven first place medals.

Tryshia Centeno: Yeah it was pretty exciting. The first year it was kind of like freshman year, so it was kind of hard to like keep up with all the other sophomore swimmers. But then this year being home, hometown the nationals was over there and anything was great.

Tiffany Elias: Well, let us talk about that because nationals was held at Indian River this year. Was that just a big advantage for your team? How excited were you? What was the feeling on the pool deck knowing that that was your home court?

Tryshia Centeno: Yeah, I think it was like a big thing for the whole team because last year for me in Buffalo it was exciting but it wasn't that exciting as it was this year. This year we knew what was coming and we were training for it and it was just showing up you know just doing our thing.

Tiffany Elias: So you mentioned your transition from freshman of sophomore year that you had a really big transition prior to that, coming out of Puerto Rico. So you made the move to come over to the US for your freshman year at Indian River. So what type of obstacles did you experience coming over from Puerto Rico?

Tryshia Centeno: Well, the first one of course the language. It was the main obstacle for me. For the first, I don't know, three months. I wasn't able to understand actually most of the words but with time I could, we — the coaches and I we did whatever we could to understand each other, also being away from home well IRSC doing a pretty good job trying to be my family over there so it was really nice.

Tiffany Elias: Now you are actually back over in Puerto Rico right now. You went home for the summer, is that correct?

Tryshia Centeno: Yes.

Tiffany Elias: How come you decided to do that?

Tryshia Centeno: Well, I finished my summer one over there at Indian River. So I just need a kind of a vacation to come back and be with my family and just clean my mind up to be ready to go to Auburn.

Tiffany Elias: Now has it been difficult to leave your family and travel that far away. Have they been able to come out and see you at all in at..?

Tryshia Centeno: Yes. I live for in Florida. It was easier- I don't know right now for Alabama. They are going to take me there but I don't know if I am going to be able to see them much now that I am going to be more far away than I was in Florida.

Tiffany Elias: Alright. Well since you just opened up the door to Alabama. Let's go ahead and talk about that. You made the decision and congratulations you are going to be heading out to Auburn next year for your final two years of competition. So congratulations on a big decision right there.

Tryshia Centeno: Thank you.

Tiffany Elias: So how did you come about choosing Auburn?

Tryshia Centeno: Well, first when I went to my recruiting trip, I went to many recruiting trips and the first thing when I got there, I saw the team. I saw the coaches. I saw their determination. They look like champions and I just wanted to be there. I wanted to keep going being a championship over there. Champion, I am sorry.

Tiffany Elias: So now being one of the top college teams at the junior national level and now heading to one of the top college teams at the national level. What is that feeling for you. What are – are you feeling any nerves or how are you feeling heading in now to a really the highest platform we have on the college level?

Tryshia Centeno: Well, I am really excited and I am not going to lie. I am kind of nervous of course. Because it is a different level of competition but I know Indian River gave me the tools to defend myself over there, so I know I will be fine.

Tiffany Elias: Now will carry over the same events you swam for Indian River where keep training the breaststroke and 200 IM?

Tryshia Centeno: Yes, I have been a breaststroker all my life so I hope so I will still doi breast stroke other than also they perfect my IM.

Tiffany Elias: Alright. So you have two years out of Auburn and what will you do after your two years of eligibility is up?

Tryshia Centeno: Okay. I was thinking stay in Alabama my sixth year will be just training and maybe completing some studies and then for my fourth year it will be the Olympic year so it will. – I will decide in the year. I am not sure yet.

Tiffany Elias: Alright. But on your schedule is the 2016 Olympics in Rio?

Tryshia Centeno: Yes. Yes, I would like to compete, yeah.

Tiffany Elias: Are you going to be following your country in the next couple of days here as we enter into London?

Tryshia Centeno: Yes, yes of course. Of course I will be watching the games and all the meets of course.

Tiffany Elias: Well we are definitely looking forward to following your career in Auburn. Congratulations with your success at Indian River. I am sure they are going to miss you out there. Alright thanks for joining us Tryshia.

Tryshia Centeno: Thank you.

Tiffany Elias: Well, that will conclude today's Morning Swim Show. I am your host Tiffany Elias. Now, make sure you join us again for tomorrow's show as we feature a preview of what to come in London in just over a week. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and twitter so you can keep up with all the latest stories and we will see you again for tomorrow's show. Thanks for watching.

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