Top teams prepare for 2011-12 season

California Golden Bears

Noting Cal: The defending national champions will look for their third title in four years in 2012. The Golden Bears will have to do it without Amanda Sims and Hannah Wilson, who graduated. Still, California returns a strong team including sophomore Cindy Tran, who won three races as a freshman at the 2011 championships, and Caitlin Leverenz, who swam the breast stroke on the championship 400m and 800m medley relay teams.

Georgia Bulldogs

Noting UGA: Last year’s SEC champion and national runner-up returns four swimmers who won individual events in the NCAA Championships. Wendy Trott is back for her senior season looking to win her fourth consecutive title in the 1,650m free. Also returning are members of the Bulldogs’ relay teams including Megan Romano, Shannon Vreeland and Melanie Margalis. Head coach Jack Bauerle welcomes a class of 13 swimmers who will look to help it earn UGa’s first team national title since 2005.

Texas Longhorns

Noting Texas: Following a disappointing sixth-place finish at the national championship in its home pool, the Longhorns are still searching for their first national title since 1991. Head coach Kim Brackin’s squad features a handful of key returners including Karlee Bispo, Laura Sogar and Leah Gingrich in addition to diver Maren Taylor who was unable to compete in the NCAA final after suffering an injury during the meet.

Others to Watch:  Margo Geer, Arizona (So.); Betsy Webb, Stanford (Sr.); Liv Jensen, Cal (Sr.); Allison Schmitt, Georgia (Sr.); Lauren Perdue, Virginia (Jr.); Breeja Larson, Texas A&M (So.); Ashley Danner, George Mason (Sr.).

Drury Panthers

Noting DU:  Seniors Katia Alyabyeva and Erin Dolan are two of Drury’s key swimmers who will be looking to remain perfect at the NCAA Championships for the fourth year. The three-time defending champs return a solid group of swimmers and divers from their 2010-11 squad including Tiffany Bell and Monica Alvarez. Head coach Brian Reynolds is expecting big things from freshmen Wai Ting Yu and Leah Reed.

Truman Bulldogs

Noting TSU: It’s a new era for Truman swimming and diving as Ed Petre takes over after serving as an assistant coach at East Carolina and Rutgers. Petre is trying to bring Truman back to its glory days when it won seven chamionships between 2001 and 2008. The Bulldogs finished 18th at the 2011 NCAA Championships and are hoping that senior Jessica Jenknot can help get Truman its ninth title.

UC San Diego Tritons

Noting UCSD: For the first time the Tritons have a head coach solely focused on the women’s swimming and diving squad after former assistant Corrie Falcon replaced long-time men’s and women’s coach Scott McGihon, who retired following his 13th year at UCSD. Falcon is taking over a squad that finished third at the NCAA Championships and returns All-American Alex Henley, Emily Adamczyk and diver Jamie Leigh Pearce.

Others to Watch:  Sonia Perez Arau, Bridgeport (So.); Emily Adamczyk, UCSD (Jr.); Ekaterina Alyabyeva, Drury (Sr.); Ksenia Gromova, Ouachita (Sr.); Morgan Oberlander, Clarion (Jr.); Mychala Lynch, Grand Canyon (Sr.); Amelia Buckley, West Chester (So.).

Emory Eagles

Noting EU:  After dominating the competition at the national championships the past two years, the Eagles look to make it three in a row this year. Emory will have to do it without April Whitely, who graduated after leading the Eagles to the title. Replacing Whitely as the senior leader is three-time champion Anna Culpepper, who is joined by the entire 400m free relay championship team also consisting of junior Ann Wobler, sophomore Suzanne Lemberg and senior Claire Pavlak.

Kenyon Ladies

Noting KC: The 23-time national champion and perennial favorite had its second consecutive fourth-place finish at the 2011 national meet. Since the first Division III championship in 1982, the Ladies have never gone three consecutive years without taking the title. Kenyon returns seniors Dominique Chevalier and Alisa Vereshchagin and juniors Anna Connolly and Hannah Saiz.

Denison Big Red

Noting DU: The Big Red returns seniors Hilary Callen and Brenna Broadus who lead Denison the a second-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Championships. Junior Alyssa Swanson, a four-time national champion and 14-time All-American, and sophomore Natalie Lugg, a three-time All-American, look to earn Denison its second national championship and first since 2001.

Others to Watch:  Pierce, Laura, TCNJ (Sr.); Pennington, Kellie, Springfield (So.); Nennig, Sadie, Emory (So.); Risucci, Carissa, Nazareth (Jr.); Andrea Peterson, Illinois-Wesleyan (Sr.); Wistey, Imelda, Grinnel (So.).

Nov. 5 — Denison at Kenyon – Gambier, Ohio

Nov. 18 — Ashland at Wayne State (Mich.) – Detroit, Mich.

Dec. 1-3 — Texas Invitational — Austin, Texas

Dec 2-4 — Georgia Fall Invitational — Athens, Ga.

Jan. 7 — Grand Canyon at UC San Diego — San Diego, Calif.

Jan. 25 — Truman at Drury — Rolla, Mo.

Feb. 11 — California at Stanford — Stanford, Calif.

Feb. 11 – Arizona at Arizona State – Tempe, Ariz.