WORRELL NAMED TO CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Louisville sports fans are well aware of the big splash Kelsi Worrell has made in the water over the last four years at Louisville and in the Summer Olympics qualifiers. She's also been making waves academically...first as the ACC Swimming Scholar Athlete of the Year and now as First Team CoSIDA All-America Division I Women's At-Large team.
To make the prestigious CoSIDA squad, a student/athlete must be a starter or important reserve on a squad and carry a 3.3 GPA. Nearly 75% of the student-athletes named to the 2015-16 squad (Worrell included) were at 3.9 or better on a 4.0 scale.
That's getting it done outside of the water and Worrell is the first ever UofL swimmer to be named to the CoSIDA team in school history.
Out of the classroom, Worrell has been displacing water in Omaha throughout the USA Olympic Trials. She'll represent the USA in the 100 Fly...winning the championship heat a couple of nights ago. She's also seeded fourth of eight in the 200 fly finals...which will take place tonight.
Worrell is also expected to take part in the 100 free-style also and there was talk last night by the television commentators wondering if she would scratch out of the 200 fly to concentrate on the 100 free.
She is ranked fifth in NCAA college swimming in the 100 freestyle with a 47.30 (the best being a 46.70) and won the ACC Championships in the event.
The butterfly is obviously her best event but the so-called "analysts" on television seem to think she's also at her best in shorter or sprint distances.
The TV folks (don't you just love the way Rowdy Gaines uses his hands when he talks?...it's like he's trying to direct a plane into a parking spot) also call her "WOR-rell" (emphasis on the first syllable) instead of "Wor-RELL" (emphasis on the second syllable). Have we been doing it wrong here in Lou-ah-vul for the past four years? Am I being too nit-pickey?
Getting it done by land or sea...(OK, water) is the prime directive for "KelsiWhirl" and one has to wonder when the Cards will pony up for a statue of the best swimmer ever at UofL on the corner of Floyd and Warnock?
Based on the recent "appointment" of the new Bevin/UofL board...it'll probably be awhile. For example, a newly "appointed" board member has repeatedly gone to Twitter to bash Ramsey, Jurich and Pitino and ask for their resignations...Seriously? Of course, this Twitter account has now been deleted...but is this really a guy we want on the board? Apparently so...
Oh, he's also opposed to the climate change theory, LGBT rights and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Plus Donald, Bernie and Hilary. We haven't gotten word back yet on puppies, butterflies or sunsets...
Yeah...right. That's one of the people we want overseeing UofL. Maybe Bevin could appoint Matt Jones, John Calipari and Richie Farmer, too. (Sorry for the snark. It happens.)
paulie
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5th FASTER TIME EVER IN 100 METER BUTTERFLY HELPS KELSI WHIRL PUNCH TICKET TO RIO
It was the first event up on the nationally broadcast US Olympic Swimming qualifying events Monday night and it was over in less than a minute.
Kelsi Worrell is headed to Rio.
Using an almost perfect turn after 50 meters, the University of Louisville graduate pulled past 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Dana Vollmer to win the 100 meter butterfly in 56.48.
In less than a minute and in the fifth fastest time in the history of the event, Kelsi was the champ. It was the second fastest time of the year in the 100 meter event.
The 100 meter "fly" is definitely a sprint race. We are familiar with racing here in Louisville. In two minutes, we know the annual Kentucky Derby winner. This win by Worrell would be the equivalent of five furlongs...half the distance of the Derby...and it also qualifies her to swim on the USA medley relay team as well in Rio this summer.
As they were introduced and went to the blocks, Worrell had a calm and serene look on her face. It belied what was going on inside her. After the race, she explained:
"Before the race it was emotional. For me, it is my family sitting there in the front row and our big team section."
The winning swimmers in Omaha sign a big, brightly colored "flip-flop" shoe by poolside after they finished their event. Fitting, indeed, since Kelsi Worrell took that last big step last night to represent the USA and Louisville in the greatest athletic venue of all...The Olympics.
We'll join Howie Lindsey on Louisville First this morning to discuss it. Wonderful. Simply wonderful!
WATCH IT AGAIN:
LINK: WORRELL WINS 100 FLY
paulie
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