OMAHA, Neb. — Sahuaro High School graduate Caitlin Leverenz is one step closer to making the U.S. Olympic swim team.
Leverenz qualified second overall in the 400 individual medley this morning, reaching tonight's final.
A senior-to-be at Cal, Leverenz swam the distance in 4 minutes 39.57 seconds. Only top-ranked Elizabeth Beisel was faster, at 4:35.72.
The top two finishers in tonight's finals will make U.S. team for the London Olympics.
If Leverenz qualifies, she will join former Sahuaro swimmer Doug Northway, 1972 Munich Olympics; ex-Benson butterfly specialist Crissy Ahmann Perham, 1992, Barcelona Olympics; Salpointe Catholic's Colleen Lanne, 2004 Athens Olympics; and Mountain View High grad Lacey Nymeyer, 2008 Beijing Olympian.
"I think I can go faster tonight," said Leverenz. "I would like to be on Elizabeth's heels and not a few meters behind her. I'm pretty excited; all systems are go."
In today's morning preliminaries, UA and Ford Aquatics swimmers Marcus Titus, Kevin Cordes, Clark Burckle and Adam Ritter all advanced to the semifinals of that event tonight. The 100 breast stroke finals, for the top eight, will be Tuesday night.
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