LSU Gold

Monica McJunkin Season 2005-06

Position
Freestyle/backstroke
Class
Freshman
Hometown
Charlotte, N.C.
High School
Providence HS

LSU Record Holder in the 100 backstroke, 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays and 200 and 400 Medley Relays
2009 NCAA First-team All-American (200 Medley Relay)
2009 NCAA Honorable Mention All-American (200 and 400 Freestyle Relays)
2008-09 Team Co-Captain

CAREER
Completed a brilliant collegiate campaign as one of finest swimmers in the Adam Schmitt coaching era … A 2009 First-team All-American, two-time honorable mention All-American and five-time school record-holder … Emerged as the fastest 100-yard backstroker in program history … LSU’s highest individual finisher at NCAA’s during her senior season … Led the team in the 100 back in her final two seasons … Holds LSU top-10 times in three events … Tied for third all-time in school history in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 free … Served as one of the Lady Tigers’ co-captains as a senior.

SENIOR SEASON (2008-09)
One of LSU’s most valuable swimmers … Played a critical role in helping the Lady Tigers earn their highest finish at the NCAA Championships (16th) since 2001 … Collected First-team All-America honors in the 200-yard medley relay, two honorable mention accolades in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and five school records… Led off the team’s fifth-place 200 medley relay squad at NCAA’s with a split of 24.49 on the backstroke leg … That relay shattered the school record with a mark of 1:36.88 … Anchored the 400 freestyle relay to victory in the consolation final and a school-record time of 3:15.56 … Helped the 200 freestyle relay claim All-America honors and a new school record of 1:29.09 … Also was a key component in the women’s record-setting 400 medley relay team (3:38.09) at the national meet … Emerged as the Lady Tigers’ highest finisher in individual competition, tying her school-record time in the 100 backstroke to place 22nd overall with a mark of 53.07 … Posted a 10th-place finish in the 100 back at SEC’s with a new school-record time of 53.07 … Swam a personal best of 23.00 in the 50 free, tied for third in program annals, to take 19th at the conference meet … Also registered a new career best in the 100 free (49.78) and played a role on four top-five relay teams … Secured fifth-place in the 100 back at Texas A&M’s Art Adamson Invitational with a time of 54.76 … Seized the top time in the prelims of that event with a then-school-record of 54.31 … Spearheaded a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay at the same meet with a lead-off split of 25.29 on the backstroke … Won the 100 back against No. 8 Texas A&M with a time of 56.63 … Helped the women’s 200 freestyle relay squad break a pool record at the LSU Invitational … Voted the program’s Stripes Award winner and recognized as the women’s Hammer Award recipient for demonstrating exceptional character in competition and putting her team first in all situations.

JUNIOR SEASON (2007-08)
Emerged as one of LSU’s best swimmers … Set a new 100-backstroke record and played a role on two record-breaking medley relay squads … Competed in every dual meet, the Georgia Tech Invitational and the SEC Championships … Swam the first leg of the Lady Tigers’ record-shattering 200 medley relay team (1:40.39) at the SEC’s … Narrowly missed the finals of the 50 free with her top time of the season (23.26) at that competition … Enjoyed one of the finest meets of her career at the Georgia Tech Invitational … Topped 41 swimmers in the 100 back with the best event time in program history (55.05) … Part of two winning relay teams in Athens, Ga., including LSU’s record-breaking 400 medley relay squad (3:43.58) … Also placed fourth in the 50 free at that competition … Won the 100 back at No. 20 Florida State … Tallied victories in the 100 back against both Notre Dame and South Carolina … Captured first in the 100 back (56.19) versus Alabama and Vanderbilt … Helped 15 relay squads take first-place during the season … Earned her third varsity letter.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2006-07)
Added to LSU’s backstroke efforts and posted team top-four times in both back events … Competed in two dual meets in the fall and all meets in the spring as well as the SEC Championships … Finished 18th in the 100 back at the SEC’s with the Lady Tigers’ third-fastest time of the season (57.46) … Contributed to a win in the 200 medley relay in a quad meet versus UNO, Houston and Rice … Posted the fourth-best clocking of the season in the 200 back in season-opening meet at Auburn … Earned her second varsity letter.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2005-06)
Enjoyed an impressive freshman year as one of the Lady Tigers’ top backstrokers … Posted the fastest time of the season in the 50 back (26.40) at the Texas A&M Invitational … Was also second on the squad in the 100 back with a time of 57.10 in an eighth-place finish at A&M … That time was recorded as the seventh-best mark in school history … Qualified for the “C” final of the 100 back at the SEC Championships and finished fifth (17th overall) with a time of 57.69 … Just missed reaching the finals of the 200 back at SEC’s, placing 25th (2:09.94) … Part of LSU’s 200 medley relay that finished eighth at SEC’s (1:43.38) … Won the 200 free versus UNO on Jan. 20 (1:57.01) … Earned her first varsity letter.

PRIOR TO LSU
Specialized in backstroke and freestyle events at Providence High School … Received team’s MVP award as a freshman … Swam in the 100 and 200 back and 200 free … Swam at the famed Mecklenburg Aquatic Club and trained under coach Dave Gibson … Scholastic All-American in the classroom.

PERSONAL
Born May 17, 1987 … Parents are Chuck and Tina McJunkin … Has one younger sister, Marissa … Majoring in communication studies. 

MONICA’S TOP TIMES
50 freestyle  :23.00  2009 SEC Championships
100 freestyle  :49.78  2009 SEC Championships 
100 backstroke  :53.07*  Two times, 2009
200 backstroke   2:03.31  2008 Georgia Tech Invitational
100 butterfly  :55.36  2008 Art Adamson Invitational

* – indicates school record

 

Full Bio