April 7, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - This past weekend, five members of the Ohio swimming and diving team traveled to Columbus to compete in the USA Swimming Grand Prix Meet. Over 700 athletes from around the globe converged on Columbus last weekend including 10 2004 USA Olympians.

Ohio swimmers Chelsey Bower (Bethel Park, Pa.), Amanda Cecere (Chelmsford, Mass.), Rachel Heim (San Diego, Calif.), Stacey Huber (Gainesville, Fla.) and Amanda Traylor (Los Alamitos, Calif.) all made the trek to the capital city to begin their long course season and achieve personal best times. Heim and Cecere reached the coveted Olympic Trial standards and now have their tickets punched for the USA Olympic Team Trials (June 29 - July 6) in Omaha, Nebraska. Heim stopped the clock (and achieved her Olympic Trials standard) at 1:02.31 in the 100 meter butterfly and Cecere recorded a time of  2:15.50 in the 200 meter butterfly. On the weekend the dynamic duo recorded lifetime bests in all of their swims (Heim - 2:24.06 200 butterfly, Cecere - 1:02.51 100 butterfly).

Also recording personal bests were Bower and Huber. Bower's 26.77 in the 50 freestyle, 58.09 in the 100 freestyle and 2:07.67 in the 200 freestyle were all lifetime bests. Huber's 9:07.25 in the 800 freestyle and 4:28.16 in the 400 freestyle were also career tops. Huber's 2:10.45 200 freestyle was an unrested/unshaven best. Traylor recorded an unshaven/unrested best in the 800 freestyle (9:07.74) and also logged superior times of 4:26.39 in the 400 freestyle, 2:08.34 in the 200 freestyle and 5:18. in the 400 individual medley. Below is a summary of times and places for all five Ohio swimmers:

Chelsey Bower

50 Freestyle       26.77                10th

100 Freestyle     58.09                13th

200 Freestyle     2:07.67             28th

Amanda Cecere

100 Butterfly      1:02.51             14th

200 Butterfly      2:15.50             9th

Rachel Heim

100 Butterfly      1:02.31             19th     

200 Butterfly      2:24.06             35th

Stacey Huber

200 Freestyle     2:10.45             54th

400 Freestyle     4:28.16             22nd

800 Freestyle     9:02.75             13th

Amanda Traylor

200 Freestyle     2:08.44             33rd

400 Freestyle     4:26.13             19th

800 Freestyle     9:07.74             14th

400 I.M.            5:18.76             N/A - time trial swim