KU swimmers prove ranking with two wins

By B.J. Rains     Nov 5, 2005

When the latest Division I top 25 swimming and diving poll was released Friday afternoon, an unfamiliar team appeared on the list. For the first time since 1997, Kansas University is nationally ranked, cracking the list at No. 24.

“I actually didn’t even know the rankings were going to come out today,” KU coach Clark Campbell said of his team’s surprise appearance on the list. “The ranking is a wonderful compliment to what we have done so far, but the ranking that we are most concerned with is what’s on the scoreboard each night.

“For the nation to kind of take notice of what we are doing right now is wonderful, but then again, our focus is more on the NCAA Championships.”

Campbell has never been the head coach of a ranked team but was an assistant coach in the 90s at Minnesota, and the Golden Gophers were routinely ranked in the top 10 each season.

The CSCAA releases 10 dual meet polls during the season, with each one coming out about two weeks apart. Kansas joined Texas and Texas A&M as the only three Big 12 schools to be ranked.

The rankings caught many of the swimmers off guard.

“I was surprised by that,” sophomore Terri Schramka said. “It brought a lot of momentum into the program though, which is good.”

The Jayhawks didn’t even have a full day to celebrate their ranking. Later in the afternoon, they played host to Missouri State and Iowa in dual meets at Robinson Natatorium.

The Jayhawks swam like they deserved the ranking, defeating Missouri State, 112-28, and Iowa, 175.5-120.5.

“I think we performed about how I expected we would,” Campbell said. “It is really hard, especially in swimming, to come off of a really big meet like we had last week against Missouri. We talked about it all week, not letting ourselves have any letdowns.

“I think we were in it tonight, both physically and emotionally. Some girls even swam better than they did last week.”

KU used the momentum to win 11 of the 16 races.

Freshman Ashley Leidigh, who earlier Friday was named the National Swimmer of the Week by college-swimming.com, continued her strong freshman campaign by winning four races.

She swam the opening leg of the winning 400 freestyle relay, and also won the 100 butterfly, the 200 butterfly and the 100 freestyle.

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