Bailey Makes Fourth Trip to NCAA Championships

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska senior Lauren Bailey will end her career this week in Minneapolis, Minn., when she takes the pool at the UniversityAquaticCenter for the 2007 NCAA Championships.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

It is the fourth national qualification in as many years for Bailey, who has become Nebraska’s best distance freestyler in school history during her career in Lincoln. The San Mateo, Calif., native owns school records in the 1,650 freestyle (16:14.36) and 1,000 freestyle (9:50.78), and has won 68 races as a Husker. She is coming off her second straight 1,650 free conference title when she won the event at the Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas last month.

 

“Lauren has meant a lot to our program,” head coach Pablo Morales said. “She has obviously excelled from the swimming standpoint by winning races and achieving All-America status (in 2006), but she has also helped take our team to a higher level.” 

 

Bailey, who finished ninth in the 1,650 free at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga., will begin her quest for All-America status once again Thursday morning when she swims in the 500 freestyle. Friday, she will compete in the 400 individual medley, before finishing the meet with the 1,650 freestyle Saturday. Preliminary races will begin at 11 a.m. each day, followed by finals at 7 p.m.

 

With her ninth-place finish in the mile last year, Nebraska finished 36th in the team standings with nine points, marking the first time that NU has scored at the NCAA Championships since 2001. Bailey hopes to improve upon that performance this season, as she is seeded eighth overall in the mile.

 

Season Review

Lauren Bailey qualified for the 2007 NCAA Championships by swimming an NCAA Championship automatic-qualifying time of 16:14.36 in the 1,650 free at the Big 12 Championships. In addition, Bailey also placed third in the 400 indvidual medley and fourth in the 500 freestyle. Heading into the conference meet, Bailey had already set NCAA provisional-qualifying marks in the 500 and 1,650 freestyle (16:47.54), while she also held the tam’s best time in six events (500 free, 1,000 free, 1,650 free, 200 back, 200 IM, 400 IM). During the regular season, she won a team-high 25 races.

 

Last Year at the NCAA Championships

Behind Bailey, Nebraska excelled on the grandest stage of all in March of 2006 to accomplish a goal set six years before. That goal was to succeed at the NCAA Championships.

 

The Huskers did that after Bailey swam a then school-record time of 16:16.06 in the 1,650 freestyle to place ninth individually, and put Nebraska on the team standings board in 36th place for the first time in five years.

 

Along with Bailey, who competed in three events for the third straight year, teammate Kate Wheeler also made a splash on the national stage with her 21st-place finish in the 1,650 free. She also qualified and raced in the 500 (29th) and 200 free (46th). In her other two events, Bailey was 26th in the 500 free and 34th in the 400 individual medley.