HENDRIX ADDS DEPTH TO AGGIES SWIM TEAM

2006-07 Swimming Preview

 The N.C. A&T women’s swimming team is hoping that the terms “potential” and “well-rounded” can equate into success in the pool. The 2006-07 Aggies will have one of their deepest teams in the history of the program, and should make a charge at a top-10 position in the Northeast Conference Championships. Last year, the Aggies scored 82 points to finish in 11^th place in the final standings. Two Aggie relay teams scored finishes in the leagues top-10, including the 200-yard freestyle relay team, which qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Regionals with an eighth place finish and its best time in school history. During the regular season, N.C. A&T garnered dual meet wins over Virginia Military Institute and Howard University.

Head coach Shawn Hendrix’s preseason optimism for her team stems from having a veteran lineup as seven swimmers return from last season. Three of the returning letterwinners are seniors and the rest have at least one full season of swimming experience. What’s more intriguing, the top two swimmers, Gia Wright and Donielle Campbell, are a junior and a sophomore, respectively. The team is highly versatile, as practically every swimmer competes in more than one stroke. That versatility is a necessity, as the roster of 11 swimmers will participate in meets against teams with the maximum of 18 competitors.

 “We are probably as talented as we have ever been,” said Hendrix, who enters her eighth season as the Aggies’ swim mentor. “But it is a challenge for me to put the best swimmer in the pool in her best event. We are very strong in the relay events, but then I have to recognize which swimmer can swim in a certain individual event, how well another student-athlete is performing, and other factors. We will be a small team this season, but we are at our strongest.” 

 Success in the pool will start off with Wright, a co-captain. She led the team with eight individual victories during the regular season. She also put together a five-race winning streak while swimming in the freestyle and backstroke events.  Campbell took home team MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in her freshman season, winning six individual events in the regular season. Hendrix expects her to continue her dominance in the breaststroke and individual medley. The duo also contributed to the success of the Aggie relays and is expected to do so again this season.

 Wright and Campbell won’t have to do everything by themselves, for there is ample depth on the roster. Seniors Kira Johnson (individual medley, breaststroke) and Kirstin Lewis (individual medley, backstroke) will carry the banner of leadership into their events. Lewis showed her versatility as she competed in four different strokes during the course her career. Johnson competes for a post among the breaststroke and relay swimmers. Senior Asha El-Shair returns as captain. She swam the second leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay team at the NEC Championships.

 Although the juniors have had the most success in the pool, the sophomore class isn’t far behind. Aasiya Townsell will gain experience in the freestyle events. Signe Waldbauer showed her potential with wins in the 500-yard freestyle and 1000-yard freestyle in the team’s victory over Howard at Corbett Sports Center.  Jewel Wright, who returns to the team after sitting out a season, will compete in the breaststroke.

 Hendrix gets excited when talking about her freshman class, which features a pair of swimmers whose sisters are affiliated with the program currently. Czamille Wright, Gia Wright’s sister, and  Tabia Clinkscales, the sister of graduate assistant coach Asha Clinkscales, will join the team this fall along with Vinetae Wynn. Wynn comes to the team as a member of the City of Atlanta (Ga.) Dolphins Swim Club and has been named as a Georgia Swimming All Star. Don’t be surprised to see the threesome swim right away, as Hendrix is known to put the best swimmer in the pool, regardless of class or experience.

 “Recruiting has been big for our program over the last four years,“ Hendrix said.  “We now have a team that will have quality from the seniors to the freshmen. The adjustment from high school and club swimming to the collegiate level will probably be easier for this freshman class than any other. These freshmen come in pretty strong athletically and come from successful swimming backgrounds. I expect the competition in practice to be stiff, because I award meet participation to the swimmer who has the best time.”

 Hendrix would love to see the day where the Aggies can field ECAC-qualifying teams and individuals in every event. But she has already seen her team honored as the University’s academic team of the year three times in her career, a fact that she is most proud of. The team finished second to women’s bowling last season by mere tenths of a point.  Five of the seven returning swimmers maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 and above.

 “Our academic goal each year is to have 90 percent of our team to have a grade-point average of 3.25 and above,” Hendrix remarked. “I want our team to regain [the academic trophy]. It’s an honor when we win, because it shows the other student-athletes and the student body that academic success is possible. Each class is competing within the team for the highest grade-point average and that helps the team attain that goal.” 

 The schedule has a hint of familiarity as the Aggies will face teams from Howard, Florida A&M, Radford, Gardner-Webb, and Campbell multiple times in dual meet action. Three meets are scheduled at the Corbett Sports Center natatorium, including a Historically Black College/University relay meet on October 13, the season opener. Radford comes to Greensboro on October 28, while the Aggies will host Campbell for Senior Night on January 26, 2007. The season culminates at the Northeast Conference Championships, which will be held on February 15-17 in Landover, Md.

 As the program strives toward being a force in the Northeast Conference, the 2006-07 edition of the Aggie swim team will follow in the tradition of Aggie Swimming: compete with outstanding sportsmanship, perform academically, and have a strong foundation within the local community. “I feel very good about what lies ahead of us this season,” Hendrix said. “The entire team has worked hard to get where we are at this point, and I hope that we learn from last season and continue to get better.”