The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women's Swimming and Diving summer notebook: July 26
07.26.2007 | Women's Swimming and Diving
AUSTIN, Texas -- One former Olympian and two high school swimming and diving All-America standouts will join the Texas Women's Swimming and Diving program and be eligible for the 2007-08 season. The three additional newcomers will join the eight student-athletes who signed National Letters of Intent during the Fall 2007 signing period and also will be eligible for competition beginning this fall.
Swimmer Gisela Morales, a native of Guatemala, has signed an Athletics Scholarship Agreement (ASA) and will join the Texas program after spending the last two seasons at Auburn University. Swimmer Abigail Mahoney (Wichita, Kan./Wichita-Trinity Academy) and diver Kayla Torske (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast HS) have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Longhorns program.
Morales, who will have three seasons of eligibility for the Longhorns, represented Guatemala at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal, Quebec.
Morales competed for Auburn at the 2006 NCAA Championships, where she placed 10th in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:56.78. Morales also competed in the 100 backstroke at the 2006 NCAA meet.
Texas head women's swimming and diving coach Kim Brackin on Morales: "A 2004 Olympian and FINA World Championship team member will always be welcome on my deck with open arms! Gisela is going to bring not only great talent to our eager group of young backstrokers, but she will also bring international and NCAA racing experience and leadership. I have looked forward to the day to coach Gisela since I recruited her at Auburn; now I finally have the chance. Her desire to help this program compete at the highest level is evident; if she maintains that attitude her impact will be incredible."
Mahoney was a three-time NISCA (National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) All-American (200 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke) during the 2006-07 season. Her top time of 56.84 in the 100-yard backstroke ranked fifth nationally among high school seniors this past season.
Brackin on Mahoney: "Abby has been a Texas fan for years! Her pride in becoming a Longhorn was obvious when she decided to commit the day after her visit! She is an extremely talented swimmer, particularly in the backstroke. She has a very strong background, a great swimmer's build and strong stroke fundamentals. I expect, in the group with whom she will train daily, that she will see tremendous results right away. Abby will need time to develop, but I predict she makes a lasting impression on Texas Swimming."
Torske, a two-time Nebraska state champion, garnered NISCA All-America honors during the 2006-07 season.
Texas diving coach Matt Scoggin on Torske: "Kayla has a lot of natural strength, and when she is able to work with our strength and conditioning staff, she will become very strong. With a lot of training emphasizing new timing with board work and arm swings, Kayla will add a lot of depth and support to a strong springboard Longhorn squad."
Livingston, Yarrison Await World University Games
Texas rising senior divers Jessica Livingston and Mary Yarrison will represent Team USA next month at the 2007 World University Games. The event is slated to run Aug. 8-18, with the diving events set for Aug. 13-18, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Livingston (The Woodlands, Texas) and Yarrison (Springfield, Va.) completed stellar junior seasons last March at the NCAA Championships. Livingston claimed her first NCAA championship in the platform event and added a third-place finish on the three-meter springboard. Yarrison placed seventh on the three meter and ninth in the one-meter event.
Current, Former Longhorns Complete Pan American Games
Former Longhorns Elizabeth Tinnon and Elizabeth Wycliffe and rising sophomore Susana Escobar successfully completed competition last week at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tinnon (Bowling Green, Ky.) grabbed a bronze for Team USA with a final time of 1:09.18 in the 100-meter breaststroke. Wycliffe (Kingston, Ontario) lifted Canada with individual medals in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke events (bronze) and a silver in the 400-meter medley relay.
Escobar (Queretaro, Mexico) placed seventh in the 400-meter individual medley at 4:52.30 for Mexico.
Eight Longhorns Heading to USA Summer Nationals
Seven current Texas swimmers are slated to compete at the 2007 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships scheduled for July 31-Aug. 4 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Those currently scheduled to complete include seniors Macie Garrett (Nashville, Tenn.), Delia Huang (Austin, Texas) and Lindsay Voyles (Austin, Texas); juniors Hee-Jin Chang (Seoul, Korea), Jacqueline Martin-Lacey (Nashville, Tenn.) and Alison Soelter (Ulysses, Kan.) and sophomore Alex Basso (Houston, Texas).
Elizabeth Tinnon also will join the Longhorns contingent next week in Indianapolis.
Orr Enjoying Solid Sectional Meet
UT rising junior Rebecca Orr (Austin, Texas) turned in an outstanding performance on Wednesday, July 25 at the 2007 Speedo Long Course Sectionals in San Antonio. Orr claimed the 200 backstroke in a personal-best time of 2:18.80. Orr had reached the finals by clocking 2:20.62 in the preliminary round.
