Bailey, Hutchinson to Swim at U.S. Olympic Trials

Lauren Bailey and Mariah Hutchinson will turn in their red and white for a chance to represent team USA when they compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials beginning this weekend at Qwest Center Omaha.

 

As two of the premier Husker swimmers in recent history, Bailey, a three-time Big 12 champion (2004-07), and Hutchinson, a two-year letterwinner and junior on next year’s squad, will be giving the biggest swimming event in the nation some Nebraska flavor when it kicks off this Sunday, June 29 and runs through Sunday, July 6.

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The duo was teammates during the 2006-07 season when Bailey won the 1,650 freestyle conference title at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, while <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Hutchinson finished sixth in the 200 butterfly. It was a finish she would repeat as a sophomore at the conference meet in 2008.

 

A native of Topeka, Kan., Hutchinson will be the first Husker to compete, as she takes the QwestCenter pool Sunday at 11 a.m. for the 100 butterfly preliminary races. Prelims will begin at 11 a.m. each day of competition, followed by semifinals and finals at 7 p.m. Hutchinson will swim again on Wednesday in the 200 butterfly.

 

Bailey will be competing in the 400 and 800 freestyle, starting with the 400 on Monday. After three days off, she will swim the 800 on Friday.

 

A native of San Mateo, Calif., Bailey met the U.S. Olympic Trial qualifying standards this past spring. Hutchinson’s spot among the prestigious field came down to the wire, as she qualified at the Last Chance Meet in Columbia, Mo., last week.

 

Both were among 11 Huskers who swam at Qwest Center Omaha at the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational June 5-8.

 

Lauren Bailey

Bailey was named a 2006 NCAA All-American following a ninth-place finish in the 1,650 freestyle at the NCAA Championships. She established herself as one of the best swimmers in program history, setting school records in two events (1,650 freestyle and 1,000 freestyle) and pool records in three Big 12 North venues. A four-time NCAA Championship qualifier and three-time Big 12 champion, Bailey won 68 races during her career and is on the all-time top-five charts in three events.

 

Mariah Hutchinson

Hutchinson has quickly become a leader for the Huskers and guided Nebraska to a 7-2 dual record this past season. She qualified for the finals of the 200 butterfly at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, claiming her second-straight sixth-place finish. On the year, she won three races after a freshmen-leading 11 victories in 2006-07. With a career-best 200-yard butterfly time of 2:02.39, she holds Nebraska’s fastest mark in the event since 2001 and is just seven-tenths of a second from reaching the all-time top-five.

 

2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials Television Schedule
Sunday, June 29            7-8 p.m. CST     NBC

Monday, June 30           7-8 p.m. CST     USA

Tuesday, July 1             7-8 p.m. CST     USA

Wednesday, July 2        7-8 p.m. CST     USA

Thursday, July 3            7-8 p.m. CST     USA

Friday, July 4                 7-8 p.m. CST     NBC

Saturday, July 5             7-8 p.m. CST     NBC

Sunday, July 6               7-8 p.m. CST     NBC 

 

Morales to Appear at AquaZone

Nebraska head coach Pablo Morales will be among a prominent group of past Olympic swimmers at the Qwest Center AquaZone that will be open Saturday, June 28 until the end of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.

 

The AquaZone is a free fan interactive experience that will be set up in the Qwest Center Omaha convention center, just north of the competition arena. The AquaZone will take up more than 90,000 square feet and provide fans with an opportunity to meet past Olympic gold medalists and participate in many interactive games.

 

Morales will be signing autographs at the AquaZone on Saturday, June 28 at 3 p.m.Below is a complete schedule of appearances:

 

Schedule of Swimming Legend Appearances:

Saturday, June 28

10 a.m. ? Mel Stewart

3 p.m. ? Pablo Morales

Sunday, June 29

3 p.m. ? Kate Ziegler

4 p.m. ? Matt Biondi

Monday, June 30

1 p.m. ? Adolph Kiefer

1 p.m. ? B.J. Bedford

3 p.m. ? Summer Sanders

4:30 p.m. ? Cullen Jones

Tuesday, July 1

1 p.m. ? Maddy Crippen

3 p.m. ? Josh Davis

3 p.m. ? Misty Hyman

4 p.m. ? Summer Sanders

5 p.m. ? Cristina Teuscher

Wednesday, July 2

1 p.m. ? Nelson Diebel

2 p.m. - Summer Sanders

4 p.m. ? John Naber

Thursday, July 3

1 p.m. ? Mary T. Meagher

3 p.m. ? Mary Wayte

4 p.m. ? Matt Biondi

4 p.m. ? Davis Tarwater

4 p.m. ? Larsen Jensen

 

Friday, July 4

1 p.m. ? Rowdy Gaines

2 p.m. ? Donna de Varona

3 p.m. ? Kaitlin Sandeno

4 p.m. ? Jenny Thompson

4 p.m. ? Maddy Crippen

4 p.m. ? Kristy Kowal

4 p.m. ? Brendan Hansen

4 p.m. ? Mark Spitz

 

Saturday, July 5

1 p.m. ? Jill Sterkel

1:30 p.m. ? Jenny Thompson

2 p.m. ? Gary Hall, Sr.

3 p.m. ? Peter Marshal

4 p.m. ? Debbie Meyer

4 p.m. ? Tom Malchow
5 p.m. ? Brendan Hansen

 

Sunday, July 6

5 p.m. ? Anita Nall

5 p.m. ? Brendan Hansen

5 p.m. ? Kim Vandenberg