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USA Notes: Longhorn Count on Team USA Could Be Plentiful; Dana Vollmer On The Prowl
- Updated: May 30, 2016
The pool that will be used for the United States Olympic Trials at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha is in the process of being built. Like the previous two versions of Trials to be held at the Midwestern venue, the water is expected to be boiling from hot performances. Here is SwimVortex’s latest glance at some of the top storylines to follow in Omaha.
How Many Guys Will Eddie Reese Place On The Team USA Roster?
An argument can be made that the term legendary is thrown around far too often in the sporting world. But if the phraseology is used in relation to longtime University of Texas coach Eddie Reese, good luck finding someone willing to debate the appropriateness. And, if someone indeed yearns to argue Reese is anything but a legend in coaching circles, that individual should be banned from the sport for life.
When the Longhorn contingent arrives at the CenturyLink Center, it will be accompanied – as always – by plenty of Olympic aspirations. While Singapore’s Joseph Schooling will have the luxury of breathing easy with the knowledge he’ll be in Rio, his teammates from the States will engage in eight grinding and pressure-filled days.
A seven-time Olympic coach, including three stints as the head man, Reese always has a horde of swimmers in position to attain an Olympic berth. This summer is no different. The question isn’t whether Reese will place an athlete on the Team USA roster, but how many Longhorns will book a ticket to South America.
Of Reese’s hopefuls, Jack Conger owns the best odds of becoming an Olympian, his status as a top candidate in the 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly complemented by relay potential in the 100 freestyle and 200 free. Meanwhile, Clark Smith and Townley Haas rate as freestyle contenders, Smith in the 400 free and Haas from the 100 free (relay possibility) through the 400 free. While Smith must prove he can handle the immense pressure that fills the air at Trials, Haas must prove he can translate his dynamic short-course performances from the NCAA Championships into long-course success.
An NCAA champ for the Longhorns in the days before Smith and Haas reached Austin, Michael McBroom stands as another potential qualifier in the 400 free, and will be among the leading challengers in the 1500 freestyle. Playing into McBroom’s favor is the fact that he’s raced on a major stage before, having earned the silver medal in the 800 freestyle at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.
The breaststroke events offer Will Licon and Andrew Wilson, the former seeking to push the likes of Kevin Cordes, Josh Prenot and Nic Fink in the 200 breast. As for Wilson, who ranked 12th in the world last year, he’ll try to earn an invitation in the 100 breast, where he’ll battle with …
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