After noticing today that former North Texas swimmer Kimberly Phillips, the program’s first NCAA qualifier in history, was no longer on the Mean Green roster, it seems that she has transferred to the University of Texas.
The Texas women have a very good, and very deep, distance group returning from last year that included 30th-place finisher at NCAA’s in the 500 Kelsey Leneave (4:44), who also finished 18th in the mile at NCAA’s; and Kaitlin Pawlowicz, who was 24th in the mile.
Those are the two races that Phillips swam at NCAA’s as a sophomore, with season bests of 4:46.23 and 16:13.58, respectively. The latter of those times puts her squarely within reach of scoring at NCAA’s this season. Given the time progressions thus far in her collegiate career, a few more seconds in either event is definitely well within her grasp:
500 free
Sr. HS: 4:59.96
FR. UNT: 4:51.4
SO. UNT: 4:46.2
1650 free
Sr. HS: 17:26.31
FR. UNT: 16:40.45
SO. UNT: 16:13.58
North Texas has a new coaching staff this season: Brendon Bray, a former assistant at San Diego State, is the new head coach, and Brittany Sayler, a former assistant at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is the new assistant at UNT.
Phillips is a Texas native, having swum for Argyle High School in tiny Argyle, Texas (approximately 3,200 residents), which is only about a 15 minute drive from the UNT campus.
Joe’s progress, not just on me but for the whole team, was incredible. Utah is very luck to have him!
Braden,Just a related thought, based on the progress Kimberly made at north texas. University of Utah has hired a coach that can spot and develop talent.