Brull Earns Two Olympic Trial Cuts During Sectionals Over Weekend

March 4, 2012

200 IM Finals / 200 Back Prelims

JENKS, Okla. – KU junior swimmer Brooke Brull will be going to Omaha, Neb. for the 2012 Olympic Trials this summer, following her performance this past weekend at Sectionals in Jenks, Okla.

The Lake Quivira, Kan. native swam to a 2:19.00 time and first place finish in the finals of the 200 meter IM on Saturday night, as she earned the title of Region 8, Central Sectional Champion for USA Swimming. Brull bested the Olympic Trials qualifying mark by nearly a half a second at 2:19.49.

Not satisfied with a lone event to compete in during trials, (June 25 – July 2), the upperclassman earned another trial cut Sunday morning during preliminaries of the 200 back. That’s where she would beat out a total of 114 competitors to finish in first place, with a time of 2:15.75, surpassing the trials qualifying time by more than two full seconds (2:17.99).

“Our entire program is just so happy for Brooke because this has been a focal point for her for about a year,” said KU head coach Clark Campbell. “She has been focused and trained at a very high level.”

Campbell is also the head coach of Kansas Aquatics (KU’s club team), and Brull’s entrance into the Olympic Trials now makes it three ‘KA’ members who will be going to Omaha to take part in a total of five different events

Current volunteer assistant coach and former Kansas swimmer Danielle Herrmann (2005-09), earned hers a year ago during sectionals in the 100 breast (1:11.81). Herrmann would eventually have company as her former teammate, KU senior Stephanie Payne earned not one, but two trial cuts during the 2011 summer swimming season. Payne swam to a 2:16.39 time in the 200 fly at sectionals this past July and then 4:51.46 in the 400 IM at Nationals a few weeks later.

Herrmann, Payne and Brull will be making the trip to Omaha together this summer, but there is still time for more of their KU/Kansas Aquatics teammates to join them, as they will travel to Auburn, Ala., for the Jimi Flowers Classic (April 27-29).

2012 Olympic Trials Info: http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1450

Complete Sectionals Results: http://results.teamunify.com/osjtsc/