Olympic Trials: Miami Swimmers Prepare
6/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
June 13, 2012
OXFORD, Ohio - It's been anything but a lazy summer for Miami University women's swimming coach Dave Jennings as Olympic Trials preparation continues for five RedHawk swimmers and one diver.
Five Miami University women's swimmers--Bekka Westrick (Fairfield), Leah Thornton (Helena, AL), Maegan O'Connor (Fishers, IN), Maddie Kete (Bay Village) and alumnae Megan Brunn (Mansfield)--have qualified to compete at this summer's Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. from June 25 through July 2.
They join diver Lacey Houser (Danville, IN) who qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials last summer. She will compete in the 10-meter platform event.
Westrick will swim both the 50-meter freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Thornton will compete in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. O'Connor will swim with Westrick in the 100 fly. Kete will be entered as a 50 freestyler. Brunn, a 2011 Miami graduate and four-time letter winner, has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 100 breaststroke.
Westrick, Thornton and O'Connor are all training at Miami's Nixon Aquatic Center, while Kete, Brunn and Houser are preparing for competition in Cleveland, Dallas and Indianapolis, respectively.
"Traditionally, the United States Olympic Trials is the fastest swimming meet in the world," said Jennings. "Only two American women's swimmers per event will qualify for the Olympic Games in London, so our girls will have to lower their times significantly. I'm very pleased that they have earned this unique opportunity."
Miami's five Olympic Trial qualifiers will join seven other Mid-American Conference swimmers in Omaha, including two each from Toledo, Buffalo and Bowling Green, and one from Eastern Michigan.
Each RedHawk student-athlete will be individually featured on MURedHawks.com on the following dates:
Thu., June 14 -- Maegan O'Connor
Fri., June 15 -- Bekka Westrick
Mon., June 18 -- Leah Thornton
Tue., June 19 -- Lacey Houser
Wed., June 20 -- Megan Brunn
Thu., June 21 -- Maddie Kete
Miami's Olympic Trials athletes will file daily blogs from Omaha during the week of competition.
--www.MURedHawks.com--
