FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska swim team is ranked 19th in the latest CollegeSwimming.com/CSCAA Coaches Poll, released Nov. 9 and has several swimmers in the national spotlight in their respective individual events.
In all, individuals are ranked 14 times in the top-25 of their respective events and the team placed both freestyle relays in the top five.
“It definitely reflects how they practice, I'd be surprised if we weren't ranked pretty high because our training has been at such a high level,” head coach
Scott Lemley said. “I expected us to swim well and they exceeded my expectations, which is a testament to how deep and talented this team is. We are exactly where we want to be.”
Sophomore
Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Albrecht Thzer Gymnasium) ranks in the top-5 in four different events. She has posted the second-fastest time in the 100 butterfly (51.96), third best in the 200 free (1:54.16) and is fourth in the 100 free (51.96) and fifth in the 50 free (24.02).
“When we recruited Bente, she wasn't that fast, but I heard something in her voice when we spoke on the phone, just how hungry she was to have success,” Lemley said. “Attitude is everything, so no matter how talented she may be she's one of the most committed athletes I've ever coached. Her swims are reflected in her commitment.”
Freshman
Margot Adams (Anchorage, Alaska/Frontier Charter) also holds a pair of top-10 rankings as she is third in the 100 backstroke (58.36) and seventh in the 100 free (52.50). Sophomore
Ashley Crowe (Billings, Mont.) is the other individual who is in the top-10 with a seventh-place ranking in the 1,650 free (18:01.68).
The Nanooks' 400 free relay, which consists of Heller, Adams, freshman
Danielle Lyons (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan/St. Mary's) and freshman
Gabi Summers (Cheyenne, Wyo./Central) is second best in Division 2 after breaking both pool and varsity records last Saturday with a time of 3:33.40.
That foursome also broke both records in the 200 free relay last Friday and ranks fifth nationally with a time of 1:38.08.
“It's not just one swimmer, it's about six or seven of them that are ranked pretty high nationally, and this foursome in particular are very good freestylers,” Lemley said. “A lot of it depends on whether they can keep it up. It's not easy to train to the extent they have halfway through the season. We'll see if they have the intestinal fortitude to do it when it's cold and dark and they're sore and tired, and I think they do.”
Other individuals who are ranked in the top-25 are freshman
Lauren Bailey (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) in the 1,650 free (#16, 18:22.37), Crowe in the 1,000 free (#18, 10:47.08), Adams in the 50 free (#21, 24.73), Lyons in the 200 individual medley (#21, 2:12.66) and 400 individual medley (4:44.13) and Summers in the 200 free (#24, 1:57.49) and 400 individual medley (#23, 4:44.61).
