While the North Baltimore Aquatic Club did not win any team titlesat the 2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships in Irvine, Calif., three of its members landed on the United States? Pan Pacific Championship team.
Towson resident Katie Hoff, 17, qualified for the national team in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle events, as well as the 200- and 400-meter individual medley races. She?ll also be competing on the 4×200 free relay team.
“Katie has been working really hard and training really well,” said NBAC coach Paul Yetter. “We certainly expected her to do well at this meet and drop some times.”
In addition to Hoff, the NBAC placed Dan Madwed, 17, on the Pan Pacific men?s roster. He is the youngest male competitor on the squad and will compete in the 200-meter butterfly.
“He?s been with us for a little less than two months,” Yetter said. “We?re real excited about Dan. He?s certainly a talent.”
Yetter was named to the women?s coaching staff as a liaison of sorts for Katie Hoff, whose five-race itinerary is the second busiest on the U.S. roster.
“Its certainly an honor to represent the United States,” Yetter said between national team practices Monday afternoon. “That?s something that not many people get to do, and I?m certainly thankful for the opportunity.”
While the NBAC placed a pair of swimmers on the Pan Pacific Championship team, two others were honored for their work at the national championships. Ian Rowe and Felecia Lee were each named rookie of the meet, having scored more points than any other swimmer at their first national championships.
Hoff won the high-points award for the women, and Baltimore native Michael Phelps, a former NBAC swimmer, took the high-points award for the men.
Phelps, 21, will have a heavy workload at the Pan Pacific meet after leading his Club Wolverine team to the overall national title. His seven-event schedule is the busiest of all U.S. swimmers at the Pan-Pacs.
Rowe and Fallston?s Courtney Kalisz qualified for the World Youth Games, set for Aug. 20-29 in Brazil. The roster for the Pan American Games, scheduled for next summer, will be announced Sept. 1.
Yetter expects Kalisz and Kirsten Groome to be named to that roster.
THE PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
When: August 17-20
Where: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Who: Hoff, Madwed, Phelps and the rest of the top 52 swimmers in the U.S. will take on national teams from around the world.
