Women's Recruiting - #2 Texas

Joe Torre. Phil Jackson. Bill Bellichik. Each has a certain air of equanimity, confidence, and silent assertiveness that make them the gold standard for managing talent to championships. Enter Kim Brackin, a woman who has assembled the most talent over the past two years and is rarely mistaken for equanimity or silence.

Recruit rankings build expectations, but not championships, that’s where Brackin, and assistant coach Jim Henry come in. The pair have a deep understanding of how to manage the stable they’ve corralled in Austin. “Not only do talented young athletes want individual attention, they deserve it,” she explains. “We try to bring in young women who understand and can deal with the fact that attention will be spread out amongst their teammates.

This year’s class is every bit as good as last year’s top-ranked class, but better targets some of the Lady Longhorn’s needs. “We needed some breaststroke help, especially in regard to speed” and Spindrift Beck, Bethany Adams and Laura Sogar all fit the bill.

Beck, Kelsey Amundsen and Caroline McElhany continue a trend of Texas’ best staying at home. Speaking of best, Jessica Guro is the fastest incoming backstroker in the country – and not by a small margin. She and Beck are known qualities who can immediately replace the individual NCAA points lost to graduation.

The lasting impact of this class, however, can be found deeper down the depth chart. McElhany and Leah Reinhardt will fill holes left by graduation. Amundsen and Adams provide immediate depth for the sprint relays, and in time could develop into NCAA-level finalists. If so, this is a group that gives Texas the type of depth needed to challenge for NCAA titles.

To shepherd this young group towards that summit, Brackin and Henry won’t need to divine Torre, Jackson or Bellichik. They’re very aware of the example set a few lanes over by men’s coaches Eddie Reese and Kris Kubik. The women, “sense that the men are focused on the same goals,” and that, Brackin feels, “promotes camaraderie and determination for both teams.”

Beck, Spindrift	79.73	7	Dallas, TX	Dallas Mustangs
Guro, Jessica	75.67	19	Bethlehem, PA	Lehigh Valley Aquatics
Adams, Bethany	72.55	31	Frederick, MD	GTAC
Amundsen, Kelsey	69.46	48	The Woodlands, TX	The Woodlands Swim Team
McElhany, Caroline	66.56	70	Austin, TX	Longhorn Aquatics
Sogar, Laura	65.48	79	Wakefield, RI
Reinhardt, Leah	62.18	114	Louisville, KY	Lakeside Swim Team

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