Second Olympic champ joins Wildcat swimmers
The UA women's swimming team added another Olympic champion yesterday when Beth Botsford signed a national letter of intent to attend Arizona and compete for the Wildcats beginning in the 1999-2000 season, head coach Frank Busch announced yesterday.
"Beth comes to Arizona with an array of excellent credentials," Busch said. "We are thrilled to have her become a member of our team next fall and I am sure she will make a huge impact early."
Botsford, who will be joined on the team by fellow gold-medalist Amanda Beard, was the 1996 Olympic champion in the 100-meter backstroke and was a member of the gold medal-winning 400-meter medley relay team in Atlanta.
Adding to her list of accolades, Botsford is currently a member of the 1998-1999 United States National Team, where she recorded the 12th fastest time in history for a women in the 200-meter backstroke (2 minutes 10.66 seconds).
Botsford, from Garrison Forest High School in Timonium, Md., chose the Wildcats over other finalists in Southern California, Georgia and Southern Methodist.
"I loved everything about the UA," Botsford said about her visit to Tucson. "The coaches were great, the girls on the team were so much fun and the campus was absolutely gorgeous. Plus, you can't beat the weather."
Busch had a lot to do with Botsford's selection of UA, she said.
"I have known Frank (Busch) since 1995 and I have always enjoyed being around him," she said. "He has always been very supportive and very nice to me. Because of that, Arizona was always in mind when choosing a school."
Botsford and Beard, who committed to UA in November, were both 15-year-old sensations in the summer of 1996 and are expected to join the Wildcats in August.
Keith Carmona can be reached at Keith.Carmona@wildcat.arizona.edu.
|
