The Morning Swim Show, Oct. 7, 2011: Bonnie Brandon Talks About Her Diversity in the Pool

PHOENIX, Arizona, October 7. BONNIE Brandon joins today's edition of The Morning Swim Show shortly before departing for the Pan-American Games in Mexico.

Brandon also talks about her recent college choice, and helping Cherry Creek High School win the Colorado state championship. Watch the full show in the video player below and visit SwimmingWorld.TV for more video interviews.

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Show Transcript: (Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is The Morning Swim Show for Friday, October 7th 2011. I'm your host Peter Busch. In the FINIS monitor today well talk to Bonnie Brandon. She's one of the top high school swimmers in the country and she's also competing for the US at the upcoming Pan-American Games. Bonnie joins us right now in the FINIS monitor from Greenwood Village, Colorado. Hi Bonnie, welcome to The Morning Swim Show. How are you?

Bonnie Brandon: I'm good. How are you?

Peter Busch: Good. So you swim a lot of stuff – your 500 best time would be top 8 at NCAA's last year, you swim at the 100 at Pan-Am Games – what's your favorite event?

Bonnie Brandon: It's actually different than you would expect. My favorite's the 100 fly which I don't do but out of my best events the 500 probably is my favorite.

Peter Busch: Why don't you do the 100 fly?

Bonnie Brandon: I don't know, it's not my best. I've never been much of a flyer.

Peter Busch: You're a great backstroker, great freestyler – I'm sure you could figure it out.

Bonnie Brandon: I bet I could. I can do IM pretty well so fly is nice.

Peter Busch: So you do it all pretty much?

Bonnie Brandon: Yes.

Peter Busch: And on the freestyle scale again you swim in the 100 at Pan Am's, you're a pretty darn good sprinting 500, good distance, middle distance. Can you do the 50 as well?

Bonnie Brandon: I kind of learned how to do it. My high school coach put me in it my freshman year and I managed to pull out a pretty good time and I won as a freshman and so after that I was just kind of determined to get better at the 50 so I am pretty good at it now. I like to do it, it's quick, and it's a lot different than like the mile which I'm accustomed to doing at most meets.

Peter Busch: Well they're going to love that versatility at Arizona.

Bonnie Brandon: Yes.

Peter Busch: You just committed to be a Wildcat. Congratulations!

Bonnie Brandon: Thank you.

Peter Busch: Why did you choose Arizona?

Bonnie Brandon: There are a lot of different reasons. I love the team, I love the coach, I think the culture in Arizona is great, everyone was really accepting, and they really seemed to have like similar goals with one another and team goals and I knew they would help support me in my goals and like help me to become a better swimmer as well as a better person so I loved it.

Peter Busch: Now speaking of high school swimming – senior year, you swim with a great team, Cherry Creek. You guys have won some state titles. Last year you got second though to Missy Franklin's Regis Jesuit. Are you going to be swimming high school this year?

Bonnie Brandon: I am swimming high school this year. I couldn't do without it for a year. I love it so much.

Peter Busch: What's it like going up against Missy Franklin in high school meets?

Bonnie Brandon: It's kind of weird. Everybody's like "Oh my gosh it's Missy Franklin" and then it's different because we're high school swimmers, we never really see girls that are like that crazy fast as Missy is so it's a little nerve-wracking when everybody expects me to like put up a fight against her when she's obviously a better sprinter than I am so it's different. It's fun though – I love her as a person so it's okay.

Peter Busch: Since trials are next summer and your High School State Meet is in February I believe will you shave and taper?

Bonnie Brandon: I won't taper, I may rest maybe like two days, not much. I usually don't need much taper in the first place so that's a good thing. I probably will shave though just because I just feel more confident when I'm shaved. But taper is probably a no.

Peter Busch: Pan-Am Games coming up next week, that's exciting for a high school kid to get to go down to Mexico and compete against some of the world's best.

Bonnie Brandon: Yes, it's really exciting. I didn't even think I would be able to do it. At like Nationals I was just trying to get the best time and then I finished and they said "Oh, you made the Pan-Am team" and I was just like blown away, I was so excited for it, and it should be fun mingling with older national team people that are not 18 and under which I'm used to hanging out with so it will be fun.

Peter Busch: Do you have some jealous friends in high school these days?

Bonnie Brandon: A few and most of them support me but a few are like "Wow, I really wish I could do that."

Peter Busch: A few are like "Take me with you." Well it's very cool that you get to have that experience. Again, congratulations on making your college choice, I know it was a difficult one, and good luck this year.

Bonnie Brandon: Thank you so much.

Peter Busch: All right, that's Bonnie Brandon joining us in the FINIS monitor today from Colorado. That is it for today's show – I'm Peter Busch, reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.

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