National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week (NCSW) honors went to at least one freshman in every division this week. Julia Smit (Stanford University) and Larsen Jensen USC) claimed NCSW honors for Division I.  Radu Badalac (Ouachita Baptist University) and Valerie Crosby (University of Indianapolis) earned Division II NCSW honors.  Emily Jacobssen (Kenyon College) and Nelson Westby (St. Olaf) nabbed Division III NCSW honors to round out the group.  The six were selected based on their performances November 6-November 12, 2006 by a panel of collegiate coaches and nominated by coaches, sports information directors, conference representatives and CollegeSwimming.com staffers. 

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Division I

Julia Smit, Stanford University
Fr., Mt. Sinai, NY
Third-ranked Stanford won five consecutive events late inthe meet to secure victories over defending nationalchampion and fourth-ranked Auburn and 15th-ranked Tennesseeon the final day a two-day tri-meet at the Student Aquatic Center on Saturday.  Stanford built on its first day lead when a 200 medley relay team won, with Smit anchoring, in an NCAA consideration time (1:42.27).  Smit recorded NCAA automatic times with her 400 Individual Medley (4:10.09) and 200 backstroke (1:56.00) triumphs having just one race sandwiched between the two performances that made her Stanford's fourth and fifth all-time performer in the respective events. Smit later recorded two NCAA consideration marks when she led off Stanford's winning 400 medley relay (3:41.72) with a 100 backstroke split of 54.90 and was victorious in the 200 Individual Medley (2:01.17).

Larsen Jensen, University of Southern California
Sr., Mission Viejo, CA
The eighth-ranked USC men's swimming and diving team posteda pair of Pacific-10 Conference dual meet wins, completingtwo days of races with a 107-33 win over 22nd-ranked Arizona State and a 75-65 victory over fifth-ranked Arizona on Saturday (November 11) at USC's McDonald's Swim Stadium.  Jensen had an  eye-catching swim winning the 500 freestyle (4:17.59), an NCAA automatic qualifying time and only a half  second off of his pool record set during the end of the 2005-2006 season.  In addition to his 500 freestyle  victory he won the 1000 freestyle (9:08.76) with his fastest time this season.

Division II

Valerie Crosby, University of Indianapolis
Jr., Tecumseh, MI.
Wayne State University took close wins in women's dual in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action against Indianapolis at Ruth Lilly Center Pool on Saturday.  The Greyhound women notched several  NCAA qualifying times, including their first A-cut of the season.  Their first NCAA automatic cut came from  Crosby in the 100 butterfly (56.76), clearing it by almost half a second.  She was more than three seconds  ahead of her closest competition and shaved nearly a second and a half off her previous 58.20 time.  She  was also a part of the winning 400 Medley Relay(4:02.33) and was runner-up in the 50 freestyle (25.21).

Radu Badalac, Ouachita Baptist University
Fr., Sibiu, Romania
The Ouachita men didn’t win their meet, but the TigerSharks finished second to host Henderson State by  only 10 points. Ouachita’s Radu Badalac posted his first NCAA automatic cut in winning the 200 backstroke  (1:50.60).  Badalac also picked up two NCAA provisional cuts, and victories, in the 200 freestyle (1:42.30)  and 100 backstroke (51.31).  He was also a part of the first-place 400 freestyle relay and two second place relays.

Division III

Emily Jacobssen, Kenyon College
Fr., Knoxville, TN
Although coming out victorious in just three individual swimming events Saturday, the Kenyon College Ladies swim team utilized their depth and hung with the Division I University of Louisville Cardinals stroke  for stroke before falling, 121-104.  Jacobssen’s first win came in the 400 Medley Relay (3:57.25), which is  a NCAA provisional cut by three seconds.  Jacobssen then touched the wall first in the 200 backstroke  (2:05.86), narrowly missing a NCAA automatic qualifying time by 0.25 seconds. 

Nelson Westby, St. Olaf College
So., Salem, OR
Sophomore Nelson Westby broke a pool record in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke and won another  event in St. Olaf's 172-128 win over Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday night at Skoglund Natatorium.  Westby’s times in the 100 breaststroke (57.34) and 100 butterfly (50.74) gave him two NCAA provisional  qualifying times.  Westby also won the 200 Individual Medley (1:54.74), another NCAA provisional  qualifying time, and was a part of another pool record when the Oles' 200 medley relay (1:34.11), which is  an NCAA provisional cut time.

The National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week Awards are underwritten by Counsilman-Hunsaker & Associates, a multi-service engineering, planning, and design firm that specializes in aquatic facilities. For more information visit www.aquaticconsultant.com. The NCSW Selection Committee is: Chris Conlin, Case Western Reserve; Steve Crocker, Counsilman/Hunsacker; Ed Denny, California University of Pennsylvania; Pat Gallagher, St. Francis University; Erin Hurley, Grinnell College; Sharon Krueger, University of Virginia; Sean McNamee, St. Bonaventure; Joel Shinofeld, Washington & Lee University; Tim Verge, Shippensburg University; Andy Waeger, Lock Haven University; Suzanne Yee, Washington State.