The University of Minnesota’s Kiera Janzen has pulled out of the women’s NCAA Championship meet at the last minute, after most of the country’s teams (including her) have already begun descending upon Greensboro, North Carolina for the meet that begins on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the University of Minnesota says that she was scratched from the meet for “medical reasons.”
Janzen, a senior, is a six-time All-American, which includes a 7th-place finish in both the 500 free and 1650 free at last year’s NCAA Championship meet to score 24 out of Minnesota’s 136.5 points. Without her, it becomes a tall task for the Gophers to repeat in the top 10 teams in the country.
She was seeded 20th in the 500 free, 54th in the 200 free, and 15th in the 1650 free before Tuesday’s scratch, and had a good track-record of improving her times at NCAA’s.
Her teammate Breanne Siwicki was to have been the next alternate in line to take a spot at NCAA’s, but Siwicki was scratched from the alternates list shortly after its release. That means that Virginia Tech’s Jessica Hespeler, with a 1:45.95 in the 200 free, is now invited to the meet for individual swims – growing the Hokies’ roster of individual invitees to 6.
Virginia Tech’s 800 free relay was already scheduled to swim at NCAA’s, so it’s likely that Hespeler was already a part of the team’s delegation for Greensboro. Fortunately for the Hokies, Greensboro is only a two-hour drive from Blacksburg, and so the team knew of the news before departing, regardless. The difference in her qualification status is that now her travel costs will be covered by the NCAA.
Hespeler will also swim the 500 free (43rd seed – 4:43.26) and the 1650 free (42nd and last seed – 16:28.06) as her optional entries to go with the 200 free (40th seed – 1:45.95).
Feel better, Kiera. Go Gophers!
Even more than the points lost, I’m sure the leadership of a swimmer like Miss. Janzen will be impossible to replace! I hope Kiera gets well soon, and good luck to the remaining swimmers from Minnesota!
We will miss you, Kiera. Get well! Go Gophers!!
Will this affect the pick em’ contest?