Seven Jayhawks swim their way to the USA Winter National Championships

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas swimming and diving team travels to Greensboro, North Carolina, in preparation for the USA Winter National Championships inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center Wednesday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 1.
 
Jayhawk juniors Jenny Nusbaum, Elizabeth Amato-Hanner and Haley Downey, sophomores Manon Manning and Lauryn Parrish, and freshmen Dewi Blose and Kate Steward gear-up to swim alongside other top competitive swimmers from across the nation.
 
The septet pre-qualified for their respective events over the duration of the past year, starting Nov. 1, 2017, and will be representing the KU squad starting Thursday, Nov. 29, as they have been mentally and physically preparing for the opportunity to compete and potentially make USA Swimming Olympic Trials times.
 
“They didn’t rest as much as everyone else for the Kansas Classic in Topeka,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “We did a couple of things different with their training in order to make sure that they were ready to go. The Kansas Classic gave them a natural rest in preparation for this meet. They should feel pretty good this week; they haven’t been in the weight room since before the Kansas Classic (Nov. 16-18).”
 
The USA Winter National Championships will add a different, and some may say more challenging, spin on the races as the student-athletes will be competing in long course meter (LCM), contrary to their typical experiences in the short course yard (SCY) pools.
 
In addition to the LCM-styled pool, there will be two sessions of short-course time trials on Sunday, Dec. 2, for those who are set to swim them.
 
“The long course meet is for our athletes to qualify for Olympic Trials,” Campbell said. “We don’t compete to make Olympic Trials every year, only every few. And so this is the first weekend to qualify for 2020.”
 
Because USA Swimming is running this meet, it is not a typical dual meet that takes place in the collegiate regular season. The athletes will be swimming individual races only throughout the duration of the competition.
 
“Representing your team and yourself in a National Championship is really exciting,” Campbell said. “We are excited to get a good look at qualifying for Olympic Trials.”
 
Fans can purchase all-session tickets for the USA Winter National Championships online through Ticketmaster. Individual session tickets are available to purchase at the Greensboro Aquatic Center main box office. For more information, or to buy tickets over the phone, please call 1-800-745-3000.
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