Preview: NC State Women

RALEIGH, N.C. - Anna Linkenauger and Jennifer Kopenitz highlight a
seasoned cast for head coach Brooks Teal’s 2009-10 NC State women’s
swimming and diving team, just one year removed from setting 10 new
school records. Linkenauger owns school records in the 200 breaststroke,
and both the 200 and 400 individual medleys, as well as a stake in three
school relay records. In all, 10 swimmers return to the fold holding a
grand total of 27 top-10 all-time times, with Kopenitz having posted
five of those marks and Patrice Dason owning four. Ten seniors, five
juniors, seven sophomores and seven freshmen construct the roster.

Sprint Freestyle
Ashley Richter, Meg Thompson and Dason combine for five top-10 times in
school history in the sprint freestyle events, spearheading a solid cast
of contributors. Richter is second all-time in the 100 freestyle and
third in the 50 freestyle, while Dason and Thompson are tied for fifth
in the 50 freestyle. Dason is also 10th in the 100 freestyle, while
Chelsa Messinger, Amanda Panty, Nancy Radloff, Erin Gray and Morgan
Robertson provide veteran experience. Newcomer Allison Hendren collected
six spring national junior cuts, as well as both summer junior national,
short course national, and U.S. Open cuts in the 50 freestyle during her
prep career.

Mid-Distance Freestyle
Richter will look to improve upon her eighth-best all-time school mark
in the 200 freestyle, while Erica Waters seems poised to continue her
progress following a solid freshman campaign. Brianna Grover clocked in
with the third best mark in the 200 freestyle a year ago, and Sarah
Merritt finished third in the 500 freestyle. Freshman Marifrances Henley
collected All-America prep honors in both the 200 and 500 freestyle, and
Hendren had national cuts of her own in the 200 freestyle.

Distance Freestyle
Taryn Shelley and Maggie McEnerney stand as the top two returnees in the
distance freestyle rotation. Shelley put up the 10th-best time in
Wolfpack history in the 1650 freestyle last season, and McEnerney
offered the third-best showing on the year in the same event. Jessica
McBroom also adds a year of experience, having finished third on the
team last season in the 1000 freestyle, while Linkenauger is also
accomplished in all distance freestyle events. Freshman Kirsten Esplin
should make a mark of her own, having earned both all-conference and
all-state accolades at nearby Cardinal Gibbons High, setting the school
record in the 500 freestyle along the way.

Butterfly
Three seniors head up the butterfly corps in Dason, Alli Hagan and
Maresa Like-Mathews. Last season Dason recorded the second-fastest
finish in school history in the 100 butterfly, while Thompson posted the
third. Hagan put up the ninth-best swim in school history in the 100
butterfly, and Kopenitz’s ninth-best mark in the 200 butterfly still
stands from her freshman season. Like-Mathews gave the top effort on the
squad last year in the 200 butterfly, with McBroom, McEnerney and Grover
following behind her. Robertson and Katie Robinson will provide depth.

Backstroke
The loss of dual record holder Erica Smith will leave a void in the
Pack’s backstroke artillery, but several accomplished competitors
will lessen the impact of her absence. Kopenitz is second all-time in
the 200 backstroke and seventh in the 100 backstroke, and Grover is
fifth in the 100 backstroke and seventh in the 200 backstroke. Robinson
owns the eighth best 100 backstroke mark in school history, while Dason
is tied for ninth. Kayla Ricedorf and Messinger will no doubt look to
finish their careers on high notes, and Panty makes for another talented
option.

Breaststroke
Linkenauger, Thompson and Jessica Ward have historically notched
impressive performances in breaststroke events for the Wolfpack.
Linkenauger carries the school record in the 200 breaststroke, while
Ward is second in the 200 breaststroke and 10th in the 100 breaststroke.
Thompson posted the ninth-best showing ever season, and Jessica Stewart had the third-quickest 200 breaststroke
performance for the year. Merritt has logged some sterling performances
throughout her previous three seasons, while Esplin, Christina McCann
and Tracy Rorer should all find their talents being utilized quickly.

Individual Medley
Individual medley events have historically served as avenues for the
Pack to score a plethora of points. That trend should continue this year
with Linkenauger’s 200 and 400 individual medley school records serving
as evidence. Kopenitz is second all-time in the 400 individual medley
and fourth in the 200 individual medley, while Ward is fourth in the 400
and 10th in the 200. Like-Mathews, Merritt, Ricedorf, Shelley and
Stewart will undoubtedly continue making major contributions throughout
the season, while McBroom should build upon her offerings as a freshman.
McCann and Rorer will both be counted on to make a splash as each
enjoyed individual medley success prior to making the move to Raleigh.

Diving
Head diving coach Jenny Keim Johansen was handed the daunting task of
replacing a national champion due to the graduation of Kristin Davies.
The loss of the 2009 NCAA platform dive winner paves the way for a new
era of women’s diving, which will quickly be ushered in by Hannah
Hopkins and Kirstyn Shepler. Both highly-recruited and experienced
newcomers will shoulder the task of carrying on the continuity of an
accomplished regime.