Cal freshman a breakout star at NCAA Championship meet

By Scott Schultz
Daily Bruin Contributor

LONG ISLAND “”mdash; One year ago, Cal freshman Natalie Coughlin
was facing an uncertain future with a torn labrum in her shoulder.
But after setting NCAA records in each of her individual races at
the NCAA Championships in March, Coughlin’s future is looking
rosy.

Rather than undergoing surgery to repair the shoulder, Coughlin
chose to undergo a grueling rehabilitation process, which cost her
most of her high school senior season.

Although she was the most sought-after recruit in the country
and the holder of two American records when she began the season,
there was still the chance that her non-surgically repaired
shoulder could be re-injured.

“When I tell Coach (Teri) McKeever that I feel any twinges
in my shoulder, she takes me out of the pool,” Coughlin
said.

At the NCAAs Coughlin set records in the 100-yard butterfly
(51.18 seconds) and 100-yd backstroke (51.23), and shattered the
200-yd backstroke record by nearly two entire seconds (1 minute,
51.02 seconds). Both backstroke races set American records.

“I saw I was swimming better times, but I couldn’t
see this coming,” she said.

In each race, Coughlin beat her archrival, Misty Hyman of
Stanford.

Coughlin was aided in her backstroke races by her astounding
turns off the wall. She swam the maximum 15 yards underwater at
every turn, which requires the lung power of a whale.

“I guess I have really strong lungs,” Coughlin
said.

Since the pool used for the championships is only 25 yards long,
Coughlin technically swam over half the race underwater, which some
people around the pool deck suggested may be illegal.

Coughlin also participated on two relay teams that set American
records, even though in a strange twist, they set the records while
finishing second in both races.

They were able to set the American records without winning the
races because both Texas and Stanford, which won the respective
races, had non-American swimmers as part of their teams.

Still, for Coughlin, the future looks bright.

“I had a tough year last year, so it’s really
exciting to win this year,” Coughlin said. “I’m
looking forward to training for next year and competing at
Nationals. Hopefully I’ll go to (the World Championships in)
Japan.”