Focus on TUSD - Summer 2008

Making a Splash
Sahuaro swimmer barely misses spot on U.S. Olympics team
Caitlin Leverenz has dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer since she was a little girl.

This month, she came tantalizingly close to realizing that dream. On Independence Day in Omaha, Neb., she fell short of qualifying for an Olympic berth by just 0.85 of a second. She placed third in the finals of the women's 200-meter breast stroke at the Qwest Center. She touched the wall at 2:25.98, just behind Amanda Beard at 2:25:13.

During the week of the trials, she finished fourth in the 400 individual medley and fourth in the 200 IM. Only the first- and second-place finishers advance to the Olympics.

Leverenz, 17, who will be a senior at Sahuaro High School in the fall, worked out long and hard for her chance to join the Olympic team. She practiced six days a week, beginning at 5 or 5:30 in the morning, and again at 2 p.m. for a couple of hours more. She took Sundays off.

Leverenz began swimming on a summer league when she was 7. The next year, she started swimming year-round with the El Dorado Aquatics Club.

"I can't remember not wanting to do this," she said. "I watched the 2000 games from Sydney and the 2004 games from Athens and pictured myself there."

At 5 feet 8 inches tall and 157 pounds, her main events were the 200 and 400 IM; the 100 and 200 breaststroke; the 100 and 200 butterfly; and the 200 and 400 free style.

The Olympics trials were June 29-July 6. Leverenz was on NBC's live broadcast at 7 p.m. several of those nights. Her whole family went with her to Omaha, including her parents, sisters and brother, grandparents, aunts and cousins for a total of 15 supporters.

Leverenz will be 21 when the trials for the 2012 London Olympics are held. But until then, she'll be consoled by other swimming honors. She has gold medals from last summer's U.S. Nationals and the Pan Am Games. Her times are in the top five for U.S. swimmers this year for the 200 breaststroke and the 400 IM. She was also the Tucson Citizen swimmer of the year.

She plans to swim at whatever college she attends.

Sarah Denninghoff, who will be a Sabino junior this fall, also competed for the women's Olympic swim team.

-- By Sharon Dunham
Communications & Media Relations

Photos in the summer issue by Jes Ruvalcaba of Communications & Media Relations, unless otherwise noted.

The deadline to submit material for the September Focus is Friday, August 15. The Focus will be published Monday, August 25. Email submissions to Chyrl Hill Lander or Sharon Dunham in the Communications & Media Relations Department or use the online Tip Sheet.