KNOXVILLE – Kate Ziegler, a five-time world champion, has become part of an emerging elite post-graduate program at Tennessee Aquatics.<\/p>\n
Ziegler, the 2006 Swimming World High School Swimmer of the Year, is making one more run in the sport before calling it a career.<\/p>\n
“We are starting a small ‘elite’ group with the hope to help athletes towards 2016,” Tennessee Aquatics head coach Marshall Goldman told Swimming World<\/em>. \u00a0“Our desire is to create this elite training group with the resources of the university at our disposal. In addition, we have received great continued support from our corporate sponsor Pilot-Flying J during this endeavor. With our club president Davis Tarwater’s multitude of experience, we feel we have created a good place for those athletes who are looking for a place to not just train but gain experience outside of the water for post swim careers.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ziegler, a two-time Olympian, definitely has the resume and ability to make an impact by 2016. \u00a0While\u00a0Katie Ledecky absolutely owns\u00a0the top spot in U.S. women’s distance freestyle, the second spot on the Olympic team is wide open.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Ziegler always could make the team on the 800-meter freestyle relay if she can muster up a world-class 200-meter freestyle by the time Trials comes around.<\/p>\n
The group, which started off with breaststroker Brad Craig remaining in Knoxville to train after graduating from UT, grew to two last year when open water star Alex Meyer moved to Knoxville to train heading towards Rio 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Molly Hannis, who is in her final season as a collegiate swimmer at Tennessee, explained this weekend in an interview with Swimming World<\/a> that she’s going to be joining the group following her graduation.<\/p>\n