The future is bright for head coach Abby Steketee and the Northwestern women's swimming and diving program.
Valerie Gruest Slowing, a member of the Class of 2020 announced last week, broke Guatamala Open National records in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 free at the RBC Bahamas National Championships last week. Slowing's time of 8:33.28 in the 800 free qualified her for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil beginning August 5.
Slowing posted Olympic "B" cut times in the 200 free (2:02.01) and 400 free (4:10.80) and posted a time of 58.41 in the 100 free. All four times set Guatamala Open National Long Course records. She now holds the Guatamala Long Course records in the 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 1,500 free, 100 fly and 200 fly in addition to Short Course records in the 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, 100 fly and 200 fly.
Her Mother Karin Slowing competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and aunt Melanie Slowing competed in the 50m freestyle at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Melanie Slowing holds the Guatamalan Open National record in the 50 free.
Slowings 2016 RBC Bahamas National Championships Results
- 800 free: Olympic "A" Cut, Open National Record (8:33.28)
- 400 free: Olympic "B" Cut, Open National Record (4:10.80)
- 200 free: Olympic "B" Cut, Open National Record (2:02.01)
- 100 free: Open National Record (58.41)
