Aherne emerges on biggest stage

Twenty-five All-Americans.

That is the number the senior class of women's swimmers received at the national championship meet last week, as well as the number the team will have to replace next season to stay at the top.

After a disappointing national campaign last year, Truman redeemed itself by coming out a winner against rival Drury University this year. However, seven of the 14 Bulldogs who swam at nationals are graduating in May.

Sophomore Kate Aherne will lead the returning squad members. Aherne had seven All-Americans this year, the most of anyone on the team. She was the only swimmer from Truman with an individual national championship this year, and she never finished lower than ninth in her seven events.

"In the relays, she is irreplaceable," senior teammate Molly Polette said. "She is just awesome - she has a really good attitude, and she worked really, really hard this whole season, and it definitely paid off for her. And I am expecting some incredible things from her over the next two years. I really can't wait to see what she does next year and senior year."

Aherne's first event set the tone for her entire meet. She won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:03.67, beating her season-best time by three seconds.

It was only her fourth time swimming the 200-yard individual medley in competition, but she said her approach was the same as any other race.

"I did not expect to win, that's for sure," Aherne said. "I was hoping to get a best time, and I kind of thought I might be able to make top five, maybe even top three."

Head coach Mark Gole turned some heads when the other coaches saw he had put Aherne in the 200-yard individual medley. It helped Truman get out to a fast start at the meet, with Polette finishing second in the opening event, the 1,000-yard freestyle and Aherne taking down first in the second event.

In her individual events, Aherne added a fifth place in the 50-yard freestyle, ninth in the 100-yard backstroke and sixth in the 100-yard freestyle. She set season-best times in each of the events.

In the relays, Aherne contributed to the team's first-place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay, also a season-best time in the event. She was part of the fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay and she swam the final leg of the final event in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Truman finished one place ahead of Drury in the relay to clinch the title.

It was the eighth time in the last nine years the Bulldogs have won the 800-yard freestyle relay.

"That was an amazing race," Aherne said. "We have such a success because of the four girls who are on it. We were so ready to do it, and we had all been swimming well, and we just knew going on to the blocks that we had the talent and capability to win it. It was amazing."

Coming in, Truman was one of the favorites to win the race, and Gole said the 'Dogs had it won by the time Aherne finished the first leg, which set another season-best for her.

"I had no idea Kate was going to do what she did," Gole said. "When she led off with 1:50, I was like, 'It is over.'"

Junior Erika Anderson and sophomore Kendra Brunkow also will step into leadership roles next year. Anderson is the only returning junior national qualifier. Anderson was tied for second on the team with six All-Americans, and Brunkow received five. Brunkow also was a member of the first-place relay.

Junior Jessie Lemaster, who narrowly missed an A cut this season, will play a role in Truman's run next year. All of the freshmen this year will have to step up next year, Gole said.

"For a lot of the returning athletes, as well as they did at that meet, I think it's going to light a fire under them to work even harder to make sure they do as well as they did again," Gole said.