March 17, 2012

Recap | Results

Day 3 Finals - Cal Quotes

Caitlin Leverenz

On how close she thought she was to the American record in the 200 breaststroke

"I was going for it. I knew what it was and I definitely came into it wanting to get it. Obviously one one-hundredth is stingingly close, but it's my best time and I'm happy with how I swam. It's still a good way to finish off my meet."

On her game plan

"I went into it just focusing on my own race because I know Breeja (Larson of Texas A&M) typically goes out a lot faster than I do. I just tried not to think about where I was in relation to the field and just think about going and seeing what I can do, and I think it worked out pretty well. I didn't pay attention to where they were until after the 100 and realized I was ahead."

On the last 25 yards of the race

"I was obviously pretty tired after going for it on the first little bit, so I did pick up my tempo a little bit. There are always what-ifs."

On her performance at NCAAs and her feelings about London

"I think it puts me in a really good position. I'm really confident in how I swim and I still think there is a lot more I can do. I think this meet just shows how much I've gotten better at my walls and short course. Last year I really wasn't a player, and Katinka (Hosszu of USC) was beating me, and this year it was a lot closer. I think this meet shows how much I've come in a year, and I think I still have a lot more to come in the next couple of months leading up to trials."

On how her team is feeling

"It was a little nerve-wracking going into the night because we knew that Georgia had a really good night. It was probably one of their best nights. We have a diver in the finals for the first time. She's diving right now. My roommate told me that Kahley (Rowell) made it into finals, so that was a huge relief for us. This is only the second time in history that we've had a diver score, and she's in the finals. So that is huge, and I'm going to finish and go cheer with my team. I think we're in a good position and we're going to put up a good fight."

Head Coach Teri McKeever

On her mindset for the meet

"We wanted to make sure we got all our relays in the top eight. That was something that was really important and then to try and maximize each individual performance and best time and wherever the chips fell, we'd be proud of that. The senior leadership has been phenomenal all year, but this weekend in particular. Liv Jensen and Shelley Harper are our captains. Sara Isakovic is another senior, and Katherine Raatz and Colleen Fotsch were transfers that have been here for three years, so it's a really special group. We're going to miss them, but it'll be someone else's turn to step up. I'm already coaching Cindy Tran how to do that. Caitlin Leverenz is our only junior, so she's in charge."

On Caitlin Leverenz

"She's been a joy to coach. She really struggled her freshman year coming in after some disappointment in 2008 and her senior year in high school. That was a little rocky, and I just really challenged her after her freshman year. We asked her what she wanted to do collegiately, nationally and internationally. I'm proud of the way she's responded day in and day out. She's still got things to do, but it will be exciting to see how the summer and her senior year go."

On the future of the California program

"I hope it looks good. I think one of the things we've talked about is the idea that the program just be at the top. It's not so much winning every year but that you stay consistent. With this group, our goal was for this senior class to get out of here and have a trophy every year. They're going to walk away with three championship trophies. I think they've set the bar high for the people to follow them, but I think that's the type of young lady we're attracting. It's someone who wants to see how good they can be in the classroom and in the pool, and I'm really excited about the future. I'm sure there will be challenges. This year was a challenge coming in having a target on our back a little bit more and the target probably got bigger, so we'll have to figure out how to walk through those shoes."

On why so many records were broken

"I think it's an Olympic year. They're ready and swimming fast. They've put a consistent body of work in. I think it's just the competition. That's the great thing about women's swimming. There were a lot of teams that had the chance to walk away with a trophy. What I'm proud of is the competition brought out the best in our group, and as a coach you couldn't ask for anything more."