2014 Runner-Up Kansas Returns to Big 12 Conference Championship
LAWRENCE, Kan.—After nearly three weeks since the last competition, the Kansas swimming and diving team returns to face four conference rivals at the Big 12 Championships. Last year, KU finished second behind the meet’s champion and host Texas—the highest finish in program history. The league meet begins on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in the No. 13 Longhorns’ Jamail Texas Swimming Center and will run through Saturday, Feb. 28.
This year, the Jayhawks boast a 9-3 dual meet record, and are undefeated against conference foes Iowa State and TCU. Distance freestyle and individual medley-specialist Chelsie Miller went home in 2014 as the program’s first Big 12 Champion in the 400-yard IM and was named the Swimmer of the Meet. Kansas head coach Clark Campbell was named Coach of the Meet.
Over this year’s seven-month season, Campbell has stressed two goals: narrowing the point margin with Texas and qualifying more athletes for the NCAA Championships.
“Hopefully we get more (Big 12 Champions), but it all gets back to focusing on ourselves, our performance and doing everything we can to be our best,” Campbell said. “If we do that, the other stuff will take care of itself. We did that last year and really great things happened. We want to have that same mindset. Everyone on the team is looking to have a positive mindset and be supportive of each other. I think we’re going to have a really good meet and a lot of fun. It’ll be a good way to end the season as a team before we branch out and go to the NCAA Championship.”
Texas returns eight Big 12 Champions and five All-Americans. Last year, the Longhorns were crowned champions over the Jayhawks by 492.5 points, and Iowa State trailed KU by 75.5 points.
“What great about the Big 12 is that we have a team like Texas to shoot for,” Campbell said. “It’s a great goal to aspire to their level. To be the best, you have to race the best, and the thing about having a team like Texas is that you have a really high bar to shoot for. If we go in there and do the things we’ve trained for and not back down, we will continue making our program better by chasing a team that’s one of the premier teams in the country.”
The meet at Jamail Swimming Center begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25. Thursday through Saturday, the preliminary sessions begin at 10 a.m. with finals to follow at 6 p.m. Preliminary tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for youth, finals tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for youth. All tickets can be purchased at Jamail Center.
The championship meet will be televised on the Fox Sports regional family networks. Schedule and results can be found at Big12Sports.com.
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