Gruber Selected as November Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Month

Nov. 25, 2004

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior swimmer Amy Gruber was named the November Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Month, conference officials announced Wednesday. The conference award comes just one day after Gruber was named CollegeSwimming.com’s Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week for her performances Nov. 18-20.

The Big 12 Conference Swimmer of the Month is selected by a vote of the conference’s head swimming and diving coaches. This marks the first conference honor for the Jayhawks since November 2002, when Gruber was selected as the conference’s swimmer of the month for the first time in her career. “It is pretty awesome to receive this award,” Gruber said. “I am shocked and can’t really believe this has all happened. Our team focused on the Nike Cup as our ‘midterm’ for the season. We were prepared going into it and we were happy with our performances. This month was a big step for where we want to be as a team and we will continue to train for our upcoming duals and the Big 12 and NCAA Championships in the spring.” In November, the Bigelow, Ark., native helped the Jayhawks to a dual meet win over Illinois, 185-115, Nov. 6, in Lawrence, Kan., and also played a part in Kansas’ third-place finish with 614 team points in the Nike Cup, Nov. 18-20, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Against Illinois, she recorded an individual first-place finish in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.89, and finished second individually in the 100 freestyle with a time of 51.95. At the Nike Cup, Gruber 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 a second-place finish 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 of her individual times at the Nike Cup were the best recorded by a Kansas swimmer this season in each event. Gruber competed as a member of the first place 200 freestyle relay (1:36.05) and the 400 medley relay (3:53.13) teams against Illinois. She 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 at the Nike Cup were the best recorded by Jayhawk relay teams this season. “We were very happy that Amy was selected as the Big 12 Swimmer of the Month for November,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “She had excellent meets in November, especially achieving the University of Kansas’ first ‘A’ standard time in the 100 freestyle at the Nike Cup. It was definitely a big mark in our program’s history. Her performance was a direct reflection of our team’s performances this month. We will use this momentum as we prepare for the Big 12 and NCAA Championships in March.” 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.