Kansas Quartet to Race Against Nation's Best
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Four Jayhawk swimmers join America’s best at the USA Winter Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. this weekend, Dec. 4-6. Hannah Driscoll, Bryce Hinde, Chelsie Miller and Lydia Pocisk are swimming a total of 12 events between Thursday and Saturday. The four will have the opportunity to suit up in technical suits, shave, taper and race at the Greensboro Aquatics Complex, where the NCAA Championship meet will be held in March.
USA Swimming hosts two national championship meets per year; Winter Nationals in short course yards and Summer Nationals in long-course, 50 meters. The event brings in the best swimmers in the nation—from collegiate and professional athletes to club and high school swimmers.
Hinde and Miller have competed at multiple national championship meets, including last year’s 2013 USA Winter Nationals. At the meet, Miller brought home a silver medal in the 400-yard individual medley.
“This meet last year was Chelsie’s breakout meet on the national scene,” Kansas head coach Clark Campbell said. “Bryce was at this meet last year as well, and has been to other national championships—summer and winter. Hannah was at the summer championship this past year, and this is Lydia’s first national championship. She’s been at junior national meets, for 18 and under, so this is her first time to swim with the big kids. Having both Bryce and Chelsie there as veterans to national championship events will really help Hannah and Lydia feel comfortable and acclimate and get ready for peak performance.”
The Jayhawks kick off a busy weekend of racing on Thursday, Dec. 4 with Miller and Driscoll swimming the 200-yard IM and 50-yard freestyle, respectively. Hinde, Pocisk, and Driscoll will swim the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday, as well as Pocisk swimming the 100-yard butterfly. The same day, third-ranked Miller swims the 400-yard IM, the event in which she placed second at the meet last year and won at the 2014 Big 12 Championships. On Saturday, Driscoll will compete in the 100-yard freestyle and Hinde and Pocisk in the 200-yard breaststroke. Miller will swim the 1,650-yard freestyle Saturday afternoon.
For all events, the top-24 swimmers from the preliminary session qualify to swim in finals the same night, with the top 16 swimmers scoring points.
“It’s a great way to conclude the fall season and we’ll see how fast they can go,” Campbell said. “They’ll put on technical suits, they get to rest and shave and they’ll go up against the best of the best. I know all four of them are really excited about the possibilities at Nationals.”
Back in Lawrence, the rest of the team will host the Tabor College men’s and women’s teams in a non-scored championship-style meet on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Jayhawk Open timeline includes all events in a championship meet crammed into one day.
“Since it’s not scored, and it’s all about times,” Campbell said. “Our athletes that want to put on technical suits and see where they’re at right now will have that opportunity.”
Live results for the USA Winter Nationals meet can be found at USASwimming.org. Results for the Jayhawk Open will be available on the Meet Mobile app, compatible with Apple and Android devices.
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