Gruber Named CollegeSwimming.com National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week
Nov. 24, 2004
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior swimmer Amy Gruber was named National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week by CollegeSwimming.com, Wednesday, behind the strength of her performance at the Nike Cup, Nov. 18-20, in Chapel Hill, N.C. This marks the first time a Jayhawk swimmer has been named the National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week.
Gruber was selected by a panel of collegiate coaches and nominated by coaches, sports information directors, conference representatives and CollegeSwimming.com staffers. The National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week Awards are underwritten by Counsilman-Hunsaker & Associates, a multi-service engineering, planning, and design firm that specializes in aquatic facilities. “This is a huge honor,” Gruber said. “I was very pleased with how I swam this weekend at the Nike Cup. I didn’t expect to receive this honor and am very excited about it. This definitely helps the team and shows how well we swam at the Nike Cup. It is a good stepping stone for our team this season.” At the Nike Cup, the Bigelow, Ark., native became the first Jayhawk woman swimmer to record an NCAA ‘A’ Standard time as she won the 100 freestyle event with a time of 49.70, the sixth-fastest time recorded in the nation this year. She also collected three individual second place finishes in the 50 freestyle, with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 22.99, the eighth-fastest time in the nation this year. She also finished second in the 100 butterfly in a time of 54.58, and in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.14. Each individual time was the best recorded by a Kansas swimmer this season. Gruber also competed as a member of each of Kansas’ top relay teams at the Nike Cup. The 200 medley relay team finished in first place with a time of 1:43.33. The 200 freestyle (1:34.06), the 400 freestyle (3:24.47) and the 400 medley (3:46.60) relay teams each finished in second place. The 800 freestyle relay team finished in third with a time of 7:27.09. Each of the relay times were the best recorded by Jayhawk relay teams this season. “Amy’s performance was very special at the Nike Cup,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “Achieving an NCAA ‘A’ Standard time was a first for the Jayhawks and we are very proud of her for that and for this honor. Her performance was a direct reflection of how our entire program performed at the Nike Cup.” For more information about Gruber’s achievement, visit CollegeSwimming.com’s website at www.collegeswimming.com. The Jayhawks will next be in action when they face Houston and Harvard in simultaneous duals, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 4 at 12 p.m., in Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kan.
