2010-11 (Senior)
Brandie Kavalec (pronounced Kuh-VAHL-eck) produced on of her best seasons as a senior, garnering 18 top-five finishes in nine different events. Kavalec set two career-best times in her final competition at the 2011 Big 12 Championships. Her time of 4:52.73 in the 500-free earned her the No. 18 spot in the event. She also set a personal best in the 1,650 with a time of 16:50.29. Her event wins came against South Dakota and South Dakota State. A versatile swimmer, the Loveland, Colo., native competed in 11 different events on the year.Kavalec also earned a spot on the 2011 Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Honor Roll.
2009-10 Season (Junior)
Kavalec continued pushing herself to three team bests as a junior for the Huskers. She competed in 11 different events on the year, while finishing in NU's top five in nine of them. She also competed exhibition in a pair of other events. Overall, Kavalec recorded 20 top-five finishes with seven victories. Her seven first-place finishes came across six events. She also finished the season with team-best times in the 1,000-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley. Kavalec set a personal best time (4:54.35) in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2010 Big 12 Championships.
2008-09 (Sophomore)
Kavalec turned in some of NU's top performances in 2008-09, as she produced a team-high-matching 18 top-five finishes. She regularly swam in multiple events, including the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle, the 100- and 200-yard backstroke and the 200- and 400-yard IM. Kavalec notched a pair of victories in the 200 back (vs. Iowa State) and the 1,000 free (vs. Kansas) during the year. She owned the team's fastest 1,650 free time, which she set at the 2009 Big 12 Championships, when she finished ninth. Kavalec also finished 24th in the 200 back, and ended up setting three career-best times at the conference meet.
2007-08 (Freshman)
Kavalec was a standout performer for the Huskers in the distance freestyle and backstroke events in 2007-08. She registered team-best times in the 1,000 freestyle (10:23.96), 1,650 freestyle (17:09.77) and 200 backstroke (2:04.77). She set three career-best times at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, where she finished 12th in the 1,650 freestyle and 14th in the 200 backstroke.
Previous
Kavalec earned high school All-America consideration and was a senior national qualifier in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. She won eight medals at the Colorado Class 4A state meet in freestyle and backstroke events. During four years at Mountain View High School, Kavalec set every school record except the 50-yard freestyle and ended her career by finishing second in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard freestyle at the state meet. Prior to her senior national status in 2007, she was a junior national qualifier. Kavalec was named her team's swimmer of the year all four years, while also lettering three years on the cross country course.
Personal
The daughter of Jim Kavalec and Beckey Schlagel, Brandie was born on Sept. 30, 1988 in Denver, Colo. She has two sisters, Jamie and Tracie, and one brother, Kyle. She is a communication studies major at Nebraska. Kavalec is a four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.