TRACY CAULKINS: SHE'S NO. 1 - Swimming World Magazine

USS NATIONALS continuedNot standing alone, Sippy won the 200 with help from hei" friends.which I don't normally have. I should have followedthrough with my arm stroke and not have been soanxious to get in and immediately pick up speed. Iguess I wanted to get in and out too fast."But even with a few slight "mechanical" problems,Sterkel remained the class of the field. Asone would expect, however, from those who are ontop, Sterke] added, "The main thing is always tryingto do your best."200 FreeAMERICAN AND U.S. OPEN RECORDCynthia Woodhead. Riverside (4-12-79) 24.61 50.58 1:17.39 1:44.10DEFENDING SHORT COURSE CHAMPION (Cambridge, 4-9-81)Jill Sterkel, Longhorn 25.4 52.5 1:19.1 1.46.13DEFENDING LONG COURSE CHAMPION (Brown Deer, 8-14.81)Marybeth Linzmeier. Mission Viejo1982 FINALISTS (April 8, 1982)Cynthia Woodhead. 18. Mission Viejo 24.81 51.34 1:18.12 1:45.46Jill Sterkel, 20, Longnorn 24.50 51.51 1:18.42 1:45.93Sara Linke. 18. Walnut Creek 25.90 53.03 1:20.24 1:46.77Tiffany Cohen. 15. Mission Viejo 25.95 53.30 1:21.05 1:48.14Annie Lett. 20. Bartow 25.32 52.39 1:20.11 1:48.29Jutta Kalweit, FRG 25.42 52.76 1:20.94 1:48.83Marybeth Linzmeier, 18, Mission Viejo 25.62 53.25 1:21.58 t:49.83Mary Wayte. 17. ChinookDQThe Bible teaches us that we are to rejoice in our sufferingsand tribulations. We do so because it producespatience and perseverance, which produces character,and in turn, leads to hope.Sippy Woodhead has had her share of "tribulations"in 1981. In a nutshell, she wasn't winning any more.After three straight years of going to Nationals andtaking home two, sometimes three, gold medals at onemeet, the well suddenly became very dry.She was in a transition period, having moved awayfrom home and having changed high schools. She wasswimming with a new club for a different coach with adifferent training program.Even as recently as last November, Sippy had a stressfracture in her leg and was out of training for fiveweeks.But the 18-year-old Mission Viejo swimmer has beenpatient. She's learned more aboUt herself. And after thewomen's 200 free on the Second night of Nationals, Sippy'shope of returning to the top became reality.With a 1'.45.46 win over her close friend and lastyear's champion, Jill Sterkel of Longhorn (1:45.93), Sippyissued the call that she is back.., and everyoneseemed happy for her."My friends helped me a lot," Woodhead shared afterthe race. "God's always there, too, and that means a lotto me."Last year was a real learning experience, and myfriends really helped me be who I am. I really gotdepressed; but they were always there when thingsweren't going so good for me. It meant a lot to me towin tonight."After qualifying first by 11A seconds ahead of hernearest challenger in the morning, Sippy knew she hadto be ready for a good race in the evening.Unfortunately, the No. 2 qualifier, Mary Wayte ofChinook, false-started twice and was disqualified."When she jumped the second time," Woodhead said,"I got the idea that somebody would take the pace outpretty fast, so I was ready."Sterkel was the one to set the pace, touching first after50 yards."Sometimes you can play the field and sometimes youcan swim for time," Woodhead said. "Since Jill took itout fast, I had to keep pace with her."By 100 yards, Woodhead took the lead and increasedit ever-so-slightly until the finish where she won by ahalf-second.Woodhead admitted she had to change her attitude alot during the last year. Her last USS national title cameat Irvine during the summer of 1980 where she Won the100 and 200 free. But even before that at the USS Indoors,Sippy went home empty-handed for the first timein five Nationals. Then in 1981, she tried her hand inseven events and was 0-for-7."It was real hard to win all the time and then all of asudden, not win. It makes you appreciate winningmore."Perhaps the turning point for Sippy came last year inKiev where she won the 200 free, just tenths off herworld record, and the 200 IM in a dual meet with theRussians."To go third at Nationals and come back with aweek's rest to win and come close to my world recordreally helped~" she admitted. But with the tribulations,the patience, the character and the hope, the thing thatreally helped her through were her friends."They were there when I was losing and they werethere tonight when I won."Swimming World/June 47