Huskers Sending 11 To Athens With Hopes of Top Ten Finish

The ninth-ranked Nebraska women's swimming and diving team is sending 11 athletes to compete in the 1999 NCAA Championships this weekend in Athens, Ga. The three-day meet, being held at Gabrielsen Natatorium, begins on Thursday, March 18, and runs through Saturday, March 20. Prelims are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with finals at 6 p.m. CST.

Coming off a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, the Huskers will be looking for their fourth top ten finish in the past five years. NU finished ninth at the 1995 meet, placed 10th at the 1996 competition and recorded a school-best eighth place showing in 1997. Last season NU entered the meet ranked seventh nationally and finished 11th overall.

The host institution Georgia enters the meet ranked first nationally. The Bulldogs qualified a meet-high 18 athletes. Georgia figures to see competition from defending champion Stanford, who qualified 13 swimmers. Third-ranked Arizona is sending 12 athletes, while fourth-ranked Southern Methodist qualified 11. California, ranked sixth nationally, also qualified 13 swimmers.

About Nebraska
Nebraska returns seven All-Americans to the meet, including Therese Alshammar (Stockholm, Sweden). At last season's meet, Alshammar earned honorable-mention All-America honors in three individual events, tying for ninth place in the 50-yard freestyle (22.83), finishing 15th in the 100-yard backstroke (55.63) and placing 16th in the 100-yard freestyle (50.20). In addition, she competed on NU's second-place 800-yard freestyle relay, seventh-place 400-yard freestyle relay, ninth-place 200-yard freestyle relay and 11th-place 200-yard medley relay.

Competing unshaved and untapered at the Big 12 Championships, Alshammar won the 100-yard freestyle (49.46) and finished third in the 50-yard event (23.05). At the European Short Course Championships in December, Alshammar finished fifth in the 50-meter freestyle in a time of 25.06. That mark converts to a time of 22.57 in a 25-yard pool, making Alshammar the No. 3 seed in the 50-yard event. In addition, her time of 49.46 is the eighth-fastest collegiate mark this season. Alshammar is also expected to see extensive relay duty.

Coming off a four gold-medal performance at the Big 12 Championships, sophomore Shandra Johnson (Omaha, Neb.) enters the meet seeded 10th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.85), 12th in the 200-yard backstroke (1:58.70) and 36th in the 500-yard freestyle (4:50.31). Johnson, who has been battling a stress fracture in her lower back during the second half of the season, will be competing unshaved for the first time this season.

Competing as a freshman last season, Johnson set conference records in the 200-yard free (1:46.35), 500-yard free (4:43.48) and 200-yard back (1:58.35) at the Big 12 meet. At last season's NCAA Championships, Johnson anchored home NU's second-place 800-yard freestyle relay, splitting a time of 1:46.14 over 200-yards while nearly catching first-place Arizona. The Wildcats won the race in a time of 7:10.79, just one-tenth of a second ahead of the second-place Husker team that also included Anna Windsor, Helene Muller, and Alshammar.

Another Johnson, Emma, enters the meet seeded second in the 400-yard individual medley. A freshman from Sydney, Australia, Johnson finished second in the 400-yard IM at the Texas Invite, clocking an NU and Big 12 record time of 4:12.83. Maddy Crippen of Villanova won the race in a time of 4:11.86, the fastest collegiate time this season. In addition, Emma Johnson is also entered in the 200-yard backstroke and 200-yard IM.

Senior Destiny Lauren (Stockholm, Sweden), seeded ninth in the 200-yard butterfly (1:59.28), is a four-time All-American and conference champion in the latter event. Lauren's highest finish in the 200-yard butterfly came as a freshman at the 1995 NCAA Championships when she placed fourth in an NU record time of 1:59.02.

Freshman Janna Brock (Allen, Texas) ranks as the 10th seed in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:13.69, recorded at the Texas Invite. Brock came down with an illness in January called fibro myalgia, which induces arthritis and fatigue. However, Brock was able to win the Big 12 title in a time of 2:15.09. Brock is also scheduled to compete in the 100-yard breaststroke

Junior Sasha Van Hamburg (New South Wales, Australia) posted a time of 4:16.68 in the 400-yard IM at the Texas Invitational in December, a time that ranks 13th entering the meet. Van Hamburg competed unshaved and untapered at the Big 12 Championships, finishing third in the latter event with a time of 4:20.75. She will also compete in the 200-yard butterfly.

Junior Terrie Miller (Kolbotn, Norway) is the team's top threat in the 100-yard breaststroke, coming off a second-place showing at the Big 12 Championships. Miller, seeded 14th (1:02.43), finished eighth in the event at the 1997 NCAA Championships. She is also scheduled to competed in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Junior Beth Karaica (Natrona Heights, Pa.), a valuable relay asset, enters the meet seeded among the top 20 in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Shaving for the Texas Invite in December, Karaica won the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 22.89, ranking 19th, and finished fourth in the 100-yard freestyle, 49.93, seeding her 19th. Karaica also competed unshaved and untapered at the Big 12 Championships, finishing fourth in the 50- (23.23) and fifth in the 100-yard event (50.49).

Junior Christine Troy (Parramatta, Australia), finished second in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, respectively, at the Big 12 Championships, en route to earning an invitation to the NCAA meet. Troy's time of 1:59.36 in the 200-yard back ranks 20th heading into the weekend, while her 100-yard back time of 56.51 ranks 34th.

Junior Stacey Sedlacek (East Galesburg, Ill.) also plays a key role in relay events, while she enters the 39th best mark in the 100-yard freestyle, recording a time of 50.39 in a fourth-place effort at the Big 12 meet.

Another junior, Helene Muller (Potchefstroom, South Africa), will also be expected to be a strong relay contributor. A relay All-American in each of the past two seasons and a consolation finalist in the 200-yard freestyle last season, Muller returned to South Africa during the first semester, before returning to Nebraska in January. She is entered in the 100-yard freestyle, owning the 52nd seed (50.76). She will also see extensive relay action

Relays Play Crucial Role
Seven of Nebraska's 11 competitors entered at the NCAA Championships are seeded as individual scorers (1-16) in at least one event. However, it is likely that the Huskers will gain a large portion of their points via relays, which count double in the scoring. At the 1998 NCAA Championships, Nebraska scored in four of the five relays, including a second-place showing in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Overall, relays accounted for 88 of NU's 128 point total.

Nebraska enters five relays in the NCAA Championships, four of which are seeded among the top 16. The 400-yard freestyle squad of Alshammar, Karaica, Sedlacek and Muller enters the meet with the eighth-fastest time (3:19.39). The 200-yard freestyle squad, composed of the same foursome is seeded ninth (1:31.68). In the 800-yard freestyle relay, Shandra Johnson and Emma Johnson join Alshammar and Muller for the 11th-fastest entry. Alshammar (back), Miller (breast), Karaica (fly) and Sedlacek (free) make up the 15th-fastest seed in the 200-yard medley relay. Nebraska's 400-yard medley relay, seeded with a time of 3:45.45, ranks 17th. However, butterfly leg Sara Jowsey did not qualify for the meet. It is likely at the NCAA Championships that Alshammar will swim the backstroke leg (instead of Johnson), Miller will go second on the breaststroke leg, followed by either Karaica or Lauren (fly) and anchored with either Karaica, Sedlacek or Muller (freestyle).

Texas Ends NU's Conference Reign
The University of Nebraska's two-year reign of Big 12 women's swimming and diving ended Feb. 20, as the 11th-ranked Longhorns held off a late Husker charge on the final day of competition at the Jamail Center.

Nebraska held an 18-point lead with two events remaining. But after placing four divers in the final of the Platform competition, the Longhorns held off Nebraska to win their first conference title since 1996, 881.5-851.5.

After entering the evening session 60 points behind Texas (605.5-545.5), NU rallied with four consecutive victories. Wins by Shandra Johnson (200-yard backstroke), Therese Alshammar (100-yard freestyle), Janna Brock (200-yard breaststroke) and Destiny Lauren in the 200-yard butterfly, sparked NU to an 18- point lead, 801.5-783.5. However, Texas capitalized in the diving competition as Laura Wilkinson led four Texas divers in the finals of the platform event. Wilkinson finished first (650.95), while teammates Natalia Diea placed third (597.45), Kelley Persinger finished fourth (507.40) and Kerrie Presgrove placed sixth (488.55), propelling Texas into the lead for good with an 847.5-811.5 advantage heading into the final event of the evening, the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The Nebraska women's swimming and diving team had won five consecutive conference titles, dating back to the 1994 Big Eight crown, when the Huskers dethroned two-time defending champ Kansas. NU would go on to win Big Eight titles in 1995 and 1996. After joining the Big 12 Conference in 1997, the then 16th-ranked Huskers upset eighth-ranked Texas for the inaugural league crown, becoming the first team to ever defeat Texas in a conference meet. Last season the Huskers came back after a 20-point day-two deficit to defeat the Longhorns by a score of 868-818.

Since the program began in 1974, NU has won a total of 10 conference titles. Iowa State won the first Big Eight crown in 1974 before Kansas strung together 10 consecutive victories. Before joining the Big 12, the Jayhawks accumulated 14 Big Eight titles, while NU ranked second with eight.

NU Against the Nation
Over the past five years, The Nebraska women's swimming and diving team has averaged an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, finishing 16th in 1994, ninth in 1995, 10th in 1996, eighth in 1997 and 11th in 1998. Over those five years, Nebraska has scored a combined total of 717.5 points in NCAA competition, ranking 11th. Stanford, who has won four national titles in that span leads the country with a five-year total of 2,304. Big 12 rival Texas ranks sixth with 1,322.5 points.

Head Coach Cal Bentz
Head Coach Cal Bentz is completing his seventh season at the reins of the women's program, while he is in his 23rd season overall at Nebraska. Bentz took over as head men's and women's coach during the 1992-93 season. Since then, the Husker women have compiled a 42-14 dual record, won five conference titles and finished among the top 10 at the NCAA meet on three occasions, while 28 women have garnered All-America honors. Bentz is a six-time conference coach of the year, most recently winning the award at the 1997 Big 12 Championships.

Johnson and Johnson, Miller, honored by Big 12
Three Nebraska swimmers have been honored by the Big 12 as recipients of the Big 12 Women's Swimmer of the Month this season. Shandra Johnson was named the Big 12 Swimmer-of-the-Month for October after a stellar performance at the Big 12 Invite which included wins in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke and 500-yard freestyle. Emma Johnson was the December recipient after breaking the school record in the 400-yard IM (4:12.83), finishing second at the Texas Invite. Terrie Miller earned the honor last January after picking up six victories over a span of four dual competitions.

Husker Olympians
There are currently four swimmers on the Husker women's squad boasting Olympic experience, including one medal winner. Emma Johnson competed on Australia's bronze-medal winning 800-meter freestyle relay at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Johnson also finished fifth in the 400-meter IM.

Other Husker Olympians include junior Helene Muller, who anchored South Africa's fourth-place 400-meter medley relay in 1996; sophomore Therese Alshammar, who represented Sweden in the 1996 Olympic games, placing 16th in the 100-meter backstroke and junior Terrie Miller competed for Norway in Atlanta, placing 20th in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Huskers Named Academic All-Big 12
The University of Nebraska led the Big 12 Conference, placing 19 athletes on the Big 12 Women's Swimming and Diving All-Academic team, including 18 first-team honorees. First-team selections included: Therese Alshammar, Samantha Ashley, Tamara Bernth, Janna Brock, Ann Enoch, Ingrid Gotchel, Beth Hunsicker, Courtney Jensen, Emma Johnson, Destiny Lauren, Molly McDonald, Anna Nilsson, Stacey Sedlacek, Laura Simon, Christine Troy, Sasha Van Hamburg, Shannon Wright and Amanda Zins. Helene Muller was named honorable mention