Miller to Close Out Kansas Career at NCAAs
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Chelsie Miller is one of the most decorated swimmers to don the Crimson and Blue and she has one more chance to add to an already impressive legacy. The owner of five school records will look to cap off her historic Kansas career at her third consecutive NCAA Championship meet in Atlanta, Georgia inside McAuley Aquatic Center, March 17-19. She will compete in three events throughout the competition, including the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys, as well as the 200-yard butterfly.
Two weeks ago, the Houston, Texas native continued to make a statement in the pool, garnering a pair of silver medals in the 400 IM and the 200 fly, and a bronze in the 500-yard freestyle. On the second day of competition Miller etched her name in the record books for the fifth time with a swim of 4:43.07, shattering the previous record by five seconds. She went on to lower her own record in the 200 fly by .28 seconds with a swim of 1:58.25 in the final individual event of the meet.
“Chelsie has been one of the best, if not the best swimmer to come through KU,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “So for her to end her collegiate career at the NCAA Championships is incredibly fitting. We’ve been training this particular year for the NCAA Championships so we’re really excited for her. We have a term that we use quite a bit when we practice and train to encourage our athletes, ‘Last one, fast one’ and that’s the motto of the week.”
This will be the first year that Miller will compete in the 200 fly at NCAAs, the last couple years she swam the 1,650-yard freestyle in addition to the 200 and 400 individual medleys.
The All-American didn’t race in the 200 IM at the league meet, but turned in a NCAA ‘B’ standard earlier in the year to give her a qualifying mark in the event. While she swam a record-breaking performance in the 500 free that gave her a NCAA cut, Miller has elected to swim in the 200 IM to prep for the 400 individual medley, her marquee event.
“Her big race is the 400 IM,” Campbell said. “That’s her event and we’re using the 200 IM to set her up for the 400 IM. She got a lifetime-best and a school record, so she’s going to try to beat her school record time Thursday morning and if she can do it, or come reasonably close in her morning swim she’s going to be really on it for Friday for the 400 IM.”
Miller will race on all three days of the contest with the 200 IM prelims starting Thursday morning at 10 a.m. She will then compete in the 400 IM on Friday and the 200 fly Saturday, prelims will also start at 10 a.m. each day.
For live results of the NCAA Championships visit meet host, Georgia Tech’s website, ramblinwreck.com.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
