Oct. 9, 2009

As the 2009-10 women's swimming and diving season begins, head coach Barbara Jahn looks to continue the progress that the team has already made. Since officially joining the Big West Conference, the Aggies have made a steady climb and will face new challenges in their quest for excellence.

"Our goal is to place in the top three in conference," said Jahn, who enters her 35th year at the helm of the program. "Last year we were predicted to finish third and to get second was quite a nice accomplishment. We have gaps that we're going to have to fill and it's going to be a team effort to fill those gaps. Some swimmers will need to step up and do some strokes and distances they aren't used to."

The gap Jahn refers to is the one made by the absence of senior Heidi Kucera, the 2008-09 Big West Conference Female Athlete of the Year and reigning conference champion in the 200 IM and 100 breast. Kucera will redshirt the 2009-10 season and the impact she has made for UC Davis has not gone unnoticed.

"She is arguably the best swimmer we have ever had. It's going to take a group effort to fill those shoes," said Jahn.

But Jahn is confident that this squad has the talent, energy and competitive mindset to face this somewhat daunting task head on. The mix of experienced upperclassmen and skilled newcomers should give the Aggies the needed drive to achieve their ultimate goal of placing well at the Big West Conference Championships in February and perhaps advancing to the NCAA Division I Championships.

The Aggies will be led by captains Kathryn Jovino, a senior who is described as a quiet leader, and junior Julie Peri who had a breakout sophomore season for UC Davis. In addition, Jahn will look to junior Linda Hermann, a versatile swimmer who advanced to the finals in three events at last year's conference meet, and Lisa Bender who ranks fourth all-time at UC Davis in the 100 breaststroke. Sophomore Kayleigh Foley should also give the Aggies extra power in the relays as she is a member of the 800 free relay squad that won the Big West championship and set a school record. Foley also set a school record as a member of three other relay squads.

To bolster the strength of the returners, UC Davis will also look to some talented newcomers. Bridget Bugbee and Grace Benefield should be strong in the distance events while Ashley Chandler, who has previously competed as a member of the UC Davis women's water polo team, will bring a new type of competitive mindset to the squad.

With eight home meets on the 2009-10 schedule, the Aggies will also use the familiarity of Schaal Aquatics Center to their advantage as they look towards the conference championship meet.

"It's a big advantage to be at home," said Jahn. "Our swimmers know the wall and know the bulkhead and it's always better not having to travel and deal with the hassle that traveling sometimes brings. Our pool is really nice and it's also a compliment to our program and to our facility."

In addition to dual meets, the Aggies will compete at two major competitions: the Toshiba Classic and the Texas Invitational. Racing alongside the likes of defending national champion Cal as well as Stanford, UCLA and other collegiate swimming powerhouses will give the Aggies both experience and confidence.

"It's a really good experience to have this high caliber of swimmers to go head-to-head with and also to watch," said Jahn. "It's a situation where we will be challenged. Getting a second swim in these meets will be a challenge and I think the people that do are going to be in the finals at conference. It's a great opportunity for a competitive challenge and we want to continue to test ourselves whenever we can."

Jahn will also look to the divers to make a big impact at the conference meet in February. Junior Erica Stricker placed sixth on both boards at last year's Big West Championships and scored a season-best on the low board at the conference meet. Sophomore Shiree Segev also scored a season best at last year's conference meet in the 1m event.

Junior Erica Stricker will lead the divers in 2009-10.

"We're relying heavily on our divers for our conference meet," said Jahn. "We have seven divers and no seniors so we are looking forward to having a good strong group this year and next year."

The Aggies will compete at the WAC Shootout Saturday in San Jose before returning home to host Nevada Friday, Oct. 16 at Schaal Aquatics Center. UC Davis will look to make an immediate impression in the first meets of the year and want to establish themselves as a strong competitor in the conference from the start.

"The first meet of the season is always an experience because you've been training and not in racing mode," said Jahn. "It will be a good test to see how they'll transition from training to racing. We did a time trial at practice last week and it was a pleasant surprise. The returners were all faster than last year which is a good indication of what's to come."

The 2009-10 season should have its fair share of new challenges and competition for the Aggies, but the team is ready to continue to make strides and progress both in the Big West and at the Division I level.

UC Davis Aggies Swimming & Diving

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