Tuesday, August 08, 2000
Ursuline's Ransom trying to make Games in 3 events
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Tami Ransom is 17, with a year left of high school. This Olympic Swimming Trials would seem to be her dry run for a better chase in 2004. That's not what Jeff Stewart, the interim Cincinnati Marlins coach, tells her.
“Anything can happen in this meet,” he said. “If you can have 14-year-olds make the Olympic team, like in '96, then all bets are off.”
Those were breaststrokers Amanda Beard and Jilen Siroky. Beard won a gold medal and two silvers at the Atlanta Olympics.
Ransom, the Enquirer Swimmer of the Year from Ursuline, prefers to avoid publicity. But she couldn't remain anonymous after finishing fourth in the 200-meter individual medley at 1999 Summer Nationals.
“That was a breakthrough,” Stewart said. “She far and away surprised herself.”
Said Ransom: “I'm not the kind of person who sits here and analyzes it. It was nice. But the day after, it was over.”
That performance qualified her for the Short Course World Championships in Greece in March. She placed eighth in the 400 IM and ninth in the 200 IM against international competition.
Ransom had to handle the departure of Marlins coach Ken Stopkotte in April. He was the only coach she had ever had.
“It was really hard when he left, but I knew I had to keep training for the Trials,” she said.
Ransom will swim the 200 and 400 IM, and the 100 freestyle. Stewart figures Ransom will do best in the 400 IM.
“I won't focus on what other people are doing,” Ransom said. “I'll just try to swim my own race.”
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Ursuline's Ransom trying to make Games in 3 events
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