Three weeks after the Big 12 Conference Championship Swimming and Diving meet in College Station, Texas, sophomore swimmer Jenny Short thought the 2004-05 season was over. She swam NCAA “B” standard times in both of her events, typically not enough to qualify for an invitation to the NCAA Championships.

Had history repeated itself for the fourth year in a row, senior co-captain Amy Gruber would have been the only Jayhawk at the NCAA Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., but this year, the streak came to an end.

After the Big 12 meet and nearly a week of rest and no practice, coach Clark Campbell became nervous when Short’s name appeared on an unofficial predictions roster for the Championships on March 3.

Campbell called Short that night and advised her to come to practice on Friday. Campbell told Short there was a strong possibility that she would receive a bid to compete.

At 5 p.m. on March 4, Campbell printed the official rankings. Short placed in the 100-yard backstroke, which gave her automatic qualification in the 200-yard backstroke as well.

For the first time in her collegiate career, Gruber will have company during the NCAA Championship season.

For Short, it was an honor to be invited.

Gruber

Short

Last year at the Big 12 Championships, Short was not even a top-eight finisher. This year, she finished in the top eight in both of her backstroke events.

What sets Short apart from her other teammates is her swimming history. Most women on the team have swam for as long as they can remember. Short started her swimming career in high school.

“A lot of these girls have swam year-round forever,” Short said. She said she only started in high school and since then she swam longcourse in the summer, and club for one year.

Although Short kicked off her career later than her teammates, she performed as if she’d been swimming her whole life.

“Last year, I had a hard time keeping up with the team,” Short said. “We have some talented girls, but I’m doing well his year.”

Well is an understatement.

She finished fifth in the 100-yard backstroke at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 55.39 and clocked in at 2:00.67 in the 200-yard backstroke for seventh place.

Short’s time in the 100-yard backstroke is only a hundredth of a second away from the KU record that she will be working to break this weekend at the Championship meet.

The meet begins today and will continue until Friday.

Although Gruber will continue on to the World Championship trials at the beginning of April, Short said she was grateful for one last opportunity to shatter the Kansas 100-yard backstroke record before her sophomore season is over.