Katie Radloff Set to Compete at Junior National Championships

Sophomore Aiming for Olympic Trials Spot

08/06/07 11:00PM

INDIANAPOLIS - William and Mary sophomore Katie Radloff (Arlington, Va.) embarks upon one of the biggest weeks of her swimming career tomorrow at the Speedo Junior National Championships. Radloff, the 2007 Colonial Athletic Association Female Swimmer of the Year, will be chasing national junior titles and Olympic Trials-cuts in each of the three sprint freestyles.

Radloff is seeded sixth in the 100m freestyle and 17th in the 50m freestyle, and her 200-yard freestyle time of 1:48.30, while ineligible for seeding, would be the second-fastest time in the field if converted into long-course meters. Swims in college are held on a 25-yard course, while swimming on the national and international-levels is held on a 50-meter course.

Most importantly, Radloff has a shot at qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Trials in all three events. Qualifying swims must be made on a 50-meter course, like the one she will be swimming all week. Radloff’s closest effort so far is the 100m free, where she has swum 57.74 against a qualifying-cut of 57.19. She has also swum 26.74 for the 50m free (26.39 makes the Trials). In the 200m free, she will try to replicate her CAA title-winning time of 1:48.30 (SCY), which converts roughly to 2:02.37, below the Olympic Trials cut of 2:03.39.

Radloff will swim the 100m tomorrow, August 7; the 200m on Wednesday, August 8; and the 50m on Friday, August 10. The Speedo Junior National Championships are open to any athlete who swims a qualifying time and will not turn 19 before the end of the meet.