Ho leads Aggie women into NCAA finals
By: By Troy Miller
Issue date: 3/19/02 Section: Sports
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The No. 24 Texas A&M women's swimming and diving team will wrap up its season this week at the NCAA Championships at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
Three A&M swimmers will compete along with three Aggie divers. The Aggies have a shot at having their best finish since 1995 when they placed 18th in the nation.
"Our goal before the year began was to be top 20," said head coach Steve Bultman. "With three swimmers and three divers, that possibility exists."
All-American senior Clara Ho will compete in her fourth NCAA Championships; she will swim both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. Ho is looking to turn some heads in the 200-yard butterfly. She currently ranks No. 11 in the nation with a time of 1:59.17.
"1:58 would be very satisfying," Ho said.
The NCAA Championships marks the last meet of a glorious four-year career for Ho. She holds school records in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and is part of all four A&M relay records.
"It's been a really good four years," Ho said. "I've had a lot of fun and it's sad to see it come to a close."
"I'll be sad to see her go," Bultman said. "I'm excited to see her race and I think she is ready to go out with a bang."
This meet foreshadows the future of Aggie swimming. The torch is being passed from Ho to freshmen Courtney Patterson and Christina Thompson who will also represent A&M in Austin.
Patterson has held a piece of at least four Aggie records in her first year on the team.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Patterson holds the school record time of 55.20, which ranks No. 18 nationally. She will also swim the 200-yard backstroke, in which she ranks No. 22 nationally, and the 200-yard individual medley.
Thompson topped Patterson's school record in the 200-yard backstroke during the Big 12 Championships. Her time of 1:58.21 is the 20th best time in the nation. She will also race in the 100-yard backstroke as well as the 400-yard individual medley.
"It will be a good learning experience for [the freshmen]," Bultman said.
Senior Meghan Zack leads the Aggie divers as they look to have a strong showing this week in Austin.
Zack is fresh off of a second place finish to University of Houston sophomore Yulia Pakhalina, the defending NCAA champion in both the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions, at the Zone D Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Zack took home three Big 12 Championship rings last month in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform events.
"Meghan has a chance to score some serious points," Bultman said.
Sophomore Katie Williams, the 2001 Big 12 platform champion, will also compete for the Aggies. Williams captured the third qualifying spot at the Zone D Championships on the strength of her first place finish on the platforms.
Junior Callie Petroff was able to gain the sixth and final qualifying spot in Arkansas after placing second to Williams in the platform competition.
Zack, Williams and Petroff can expect stiff competition from Pakhalina and Texas divers Nicole Pohorenc and Ally Hartzell.
The NCAA Championships begin Wednesday and run through Saturday at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin. Preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. and finals begin at 7 p.m.
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