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| Emma Brown, University of Kentucky | Nicholas Crosthwaite, University of Kentucky |
| Molly Tyler, Miami University | Nick McGowan, Michigan State University |
|
Jaclyn Doherty, Albion College |
Tripp Crosthwaite, University of Kentucky |
|
Brittany McGowan, University of Illinois |
Micheal DeSantis, Denison University |
| Michelle Thompson, University of Toledo | David DeVore, Albion College |
| Dana Christ, University of Arizona | James Schlabach, University of Chicago |
| Jessica Cort, Mesa State College | Mike Sofia, Albion College |
| Kendall Wyllie, Denison University | Alex Tyler, Northwestern University |
| Carolyn Marsh, Northeastern University | Andrew Witkowski, Hamilton College |
| Megan Evo, University of Virginia | Zach DeVore, Middlebury College |
| Mark Rogers, Michigan State University | |
| Scott Thompson, University of Florida |
By Marty Budner, Birmingham Observer & Eccentric
Alex Tyler would have been happy to just witness the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials. He’s ecstatic to be a participant.
Tyler is one of three Birmingham Groves graduates set to compete in this week’s Olympic Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. The week-long fest showcases the nation’s top swimmers looking to land spots on the always-talented U.S. Olympic swim team. The squad will compete in this summer’s Olympics hosted by China.
Tyler and fellow Groves graduates Megan Evo (2005) and Dana Christ (2007) will be among the 1,209 swimmers competing at the always-intense Time Trials.
“I probably would have gone to the Trials anyway, and it’s really exciting to be participating,” said Tyler. “I’ve never swam in front of 1,200 people before so it’s going to be a great experience for me.”
Tyler, who will be representing the Oakland Live Y’ers swim program, is qualified to swim both the 400- and 200-meter individual medley races. He qualified in the 400 with a time of 4:29.34 at the Sectional meet last March and qualified in the 200 just last weekend at an invitational in Tennessee.
“This is a great opportunity. It’s the best of the best, and it’s going to be a good measuring tool for me,” said Tyler, a 2007 Groves graduate. “I’m really just going for the experience and to be swimming at the Olympic Trials is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Tyler grew up swimming for the Southfield-based Plum Hollow Swim Club and for the Birmingham Blue-Dolphins. He later joined the Live Y’ers age-group team and swam for three seasons at Birmingham Groves.
Tyler was a member of three state championship teams at Groves where he was an All-American and All-State competitor in the 500-free and 200-IM. He did not swim his senior season at Groves, electing to devote the majority of his time to the Live Y’ers club team.
The 19-year-old Birmingham resident recently completed his freshman year at Northwestern University, where he helped lead the Wildcats to an impressive 12th-place finish at the NCAA championship meet.
“It was a good freshman year for me and I dropped a lot of time in all my events,” said Tyler, who swam primarily distance races until the last couple of years when he began concentrating more on the individual medley. “The NCAA meet was really intense and I was very happy with our finish.
“I want to improve on my times at the college level and get on the radar nationally,” he said. “I would like to be among the top eight at the national meets over the next couple of years.”
Evo is one of 25 swimmers from the University of Virginia who have qualified for the Olympic Trials. The 21-year-old Beverly Hills resident will compete in both the 200-IM and 200-fly.
At Virginia, Evo has been a three-time ACC relays champion and a member of two recording-holding squads - the 400- and 800-free relays. This past season, she competed in the 200-IM, 200-free and 400-medley relay events at the national championships.
Evo had an outstanding career at Groves where she was a nine-time high school state champion and a 16-time All-American.
While Tyler and Evo are competing in their first Olympic Trials, this is the second time around for Christ who recently completed her freshman season at the University of Arizona.
Christ competed at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Cal. as a young 14-year-old. Now 18, the Bloomfield Hills resident will take much more experience into this year’s time trials. Christ is one of 13 swimmers from the NCAA champion Wildcats at the trials and again will compete in the 100-meter butterfly.
“It’s really cool for Groves to have three swimmers at the U.S. Olympic Trials,” said Groves head boys and girls coach Matt Watson. “And I think it’s pretty impressive for Birmingham swimming in general.”
Alex Tyler would have been happy to just witness the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials. He’s ecstatic to be a participant.
Tyler is one of three Birmingham Groves graduates set to compete in this week’s Olympic Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. The week-long fest showcases the nation’s top swimmers looking to land spots on the always-talented U.S. Olympic swim team. The squad will compete in this summer’s Olympics hosted by China.
Tyler and fellow Groves graduates Megan Evo (2005) and Dana Christ (2007) will be among the 1,209 swimmers competing at the always-intense Time Trials.
“I probably would have gone to the Trials anyway, and it’s really exciting to be participating,” said Tyler. “I’ve never swam in front of 1,200 people before so it’s going to be a great experience for me.”
Tyler, who will be representing the Oakland Live Y’ers swim program, is qualified to swim both the 400- and 200-meter individual medley races. He qualified in the 400 with a time of 4:29.34 at the Sectional meet last March and qualified in the 200 just last weekend at an invitational in Tennessee.
“This is a great opportunity. It’s the best of the best, and it’s going to be a good measuring tool for me,” said Tyler, a 2007 Groves graduate. “I’m really just going for the experience and to be swimming at the Olympic Trials is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Tyler grew up swimming for the Southfield-based Plum Hollow Swim Club and for the Birmingham Blue-Dolphins. He later joined the Live Y’ers age-group team and swam for three seasons at Birmingham Groves.
Tyler was a member of three state championship teams at Groves where he was an All-American and All-State competitor in the 500-free and 200-IM. He did not swim his senior season at Groves, electing to devote the majority of his time to the Live Y’ers club team.
The 19-year-old Birmingham resident recently completed his freshman year at Northwestern University, where he helped lead the Wildcats to an impressive 12th-place finish at the NCAA championship meet.
“It was a good freshman year for me and I dropped a lot of time in all my events,” said Tyler, who swam primarily distance races until the last couple of years when he began concentrating more on the individual medley. “The NCAA meet was really intense and I was very happy with our finish.
“I want to improve on my times at the college level and get on the radar nationally,” he said. “I would like to be among the top eight at the national meets over the next couple of years.”
Evo is one of 25 swimmers from the University of Virginia who have qualified for the Olympic Trials. The 21-year-old Beverly Hills resident will compete in both the 200-IM and 200-fly.
At Virginia, Evo has been a three-time ACC relays champion and a member of two recording-holding squads - the 400- and 800-free relays. This past season, she competed in the 200-IM, 200-free and 400-medley relay events at the national championships.
Evo had an outstanding career at Groves where she was a nine-time high school state champion and a 16-time All-American.
While Tyler and Evo are competing in their first Olympic Trials, this is the second time around for Christ who recently completed her freshman season at the University of Arizona.
Christ competed at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Cal. as a young 14-year-old. Now 18, the Bloomfield Hills resident will take much more experience into this year’s time trials. Christ is one of 13 swimmers from the NCAA champion Wildcats at the trials and again will compete in the 100-meter butterfly.
“It’s really cool for Groves to have three swimmers at the U.S. Olympic Trials,” said Groves head boys and girls coach Matt Watson. “And I think it’s pretty impressive for Birmingham swimming in general.”
