AUSTIN, Texas — Four LSU women will compete at the 2002 NCAA Women’s Swimming Championships March 21-23 at the Jamail-Texas Swimming Center on the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas.
Lady Tiger All-Americans Mandy Leach and Jamie Watkins, as well as sophomore Stephanie Smith and junior Barb Gorst will represent LSU at the competition this weekend. Leach, a Two-Time All-American from Zimbabwe, will compete in the 50-yard freestyle,100-yard freestyle, and the 100-yard butterfly. Leach is ranked 20th in the nation in the 100 freestyle, 25th in the 50 freestyle, and 11th in the 100-yard fly. Leach finished 12th at last season’s NCAA Championships with a time of 54.30.
Watkins and Gorst will participate in the diving competition this weekend. Watkins, the 2000 1-meter NCAA champion, will look to win her second title in the event for her career. Gorst won the platform diving competition at the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships last month and also won the event at the NCAA Zone B Diving Regional last weekend at Lexington, Ky.
Smith will compete at the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career. The sophomore from Metairie, La., will swim in both the 500-yard freestyle and the 1650-yard freestyle. Smith is ranked 41st in the 500 and 20th in the 1650 free. Smith holds the school record in the 1650 with a time of 16:31.27. She finished seventh in both events at the SEC Championships.
“Our goal at the NCAA’s is to finish in the top 20 and possibly have all four of our girls score,” said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. “I think we have a great shot in the events and we could have all four come back as All-Americans, which would be phenomenal.”
LSU is without two injured divers, All-American Michelle Coryell and freshman Jessica Wantz, but should be able to score in the diving with Watkins and Gorst. LSU took the top three spots in the platform at the SEC Championships in February.
“I think we could score in every event in the diving,” said Cavana. “If each athlete can score in just one event we will do well.”
LSU is looking for its third NCAA diving champion in the last four years. Ashley Culpepper won the 3-meter competition in 2000, and Watkins won the 1-meter in 2001. Culpepper and Coryell were second and fourth respectively in the platform last season.
LSU has finished 16th at the NCAA’s the past two seasons and is in position to finish the season in the nation’s top 25 for the 20th time in 21 seasons.