Some amateur swimmers may find it intimidating to swim alongside superstar swimmers from all… Some amateur swimmers may find it intimidating to swim alongside superstar swimmers from all over the world, including medalists and national record holders from the U.S. Olympic and World Championship teams. Judging from her performance last weekend, Kristen Brown is not your typical amateur.

Brown said of the experience, “It was a great learning experience. It was exciting to compete against some of the best swimmers in the world.”

The 2005 U.S. Open, held in Auburn, Ala., last weekend, provided junior Kristen Brown with a chance to compete in her first U.S. Open. Brown, along with other up-and-coming swimmers, competed among a mix of 600 professional and amateur swimmers in a three-day meet that allowed swimmers to qualify for U.S. Olympic time trials.

Brown was very successful in Auburn, scoring in all three of the events she entered, which were the 50, 200 and 100 freestyles. Brown ended the meet with a championship finals swim. In the third and final day of the meet, Brown performed at her very best.

While competing in the 100 freestyle, she placed seventh in the morning preliminaries, qualifying her for the championship finals. The fact that Brown would be competing against some of the fastest female swimmers in the world, including 2005 Olympic silver medalist Amanda Weir, did not stop her from earning a lifetime-best 57.63, finishing sixth. Her performance qualified her for the spring and summer national championships. This race was her first ever long-course summer national qualifying time.

Brown started off the U.S. Open on the first day by competing in the 50 free. She placed 11th in the morning session, which earned her a spot in the consolation finals that night. Her time of 26.99 qualified her for the Spring U.S. National Championships. At the end of the evening, Brown was in 15th place.

On day two, Brown swam the 200 free, and finished the morning race in 15th place. Once again, Brown had swam fast enough to earn a spot in the consolation finals that second night, a race in which she dropped to 16th place.

Big name swimmers such as Pieter van den Hoogenband, one of the top three male swimmers in the world, Sun Devil Aquatic’s Nick Brunelli, a member of the 2005 U.S. World Championship team and 16-year-old sensation Katie Hoff, who was recently named “Female Athlete of the Year” at the Golden Goggle Awards, were some of the most world-renown swimmers at the meet. The last time Brown competed in the national scene was in the YMCA National Championships while in high school.

Brown, a studio arts/art history major, is leaving her mark on the Panthers’ swimming team. She currently holds the school record in the 200 free (1:49.43) and the 200 (1:33.12), 400 (3:24.96) and 800 (7:25.64) free relays. Among many honors, last year Brown was named Most Valuable Swimmer by the coaches, and was ranked 24th nationally in the 200 free in the Taper ‘ Shave “College Quick 50.”