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Silver takes home gold in NCAAs

Published 8:00 pm Saturday, March 24, 2007

Emily Silver (left) and other members of the University of California relay team celebrate after winning the 800-yard freestyle relay at the women’s NCAA swimming championships at the University of Minnesota March 10. Silver was a member of three Cal relay teams that set several records at the meet.
Emily Silver (left) and other members of the University of California relay team celebrate after winning the 800-yard freestyle relay at the women’s NCAA swimming championships at the University of Minnesota March 10. Silver was a member of three Cal relay teams that set several records at the meet.

The former state champ helps set numerous records at meet.

The records keep on coming for former Bainbridge swimmer Emily Silver.

Silver, a junior at the University of California (Berkeley) and a 2004 graduate of BHS, was part of a historic performance by the Golden Bear swim team at the 2007 NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships the weekend of March 10 at the Minnesota Aquatics Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

She, along with senior Erin Reilly, sophomore Jessica Hardy and sophomore Dana Vollmer blazed the 400 yard freestyle relay field with a first place time of 3:12.13.

The time not only set a new school record, but broke five other records – the NCAA meet record, the NCAA record, the Minnesota Aquatics Center pool record, the American record and the US Open record.

According to Bob Silver, Emily’s dad, US Open records are the fastest times ever swum in that event in a US pool, while American records are the fastest times swum in that pool by American citizens. NCAA records are the fastest times in collegiate history.

The 400 freestyle relay team had finished second to Auburn in the preliminaries with a time of 3:14.95.

Both Cal’s and Auburn’s time of 3:14.83 were pool records at the time of their swims.

Silver, Reilly, Vollmer and freshman Blake Hayter also took home an NCAA title in the 800 freestyle relay with a time of 7:00.89.

The time was good enough to set a new pool, NCAA meet and American record.

Silver, Vollmer, Hardy and sophomore Lauren Rodgers won the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:30.18.

The time was good enough to break the pool, US Open, American and NCAA records.

Cal missed a fourth NCAA relay title when Silver, Rogers, Vollmer and Hardy finished second to Arizona in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1.36.60 – just seconds away from the Wildcats’ time of 1:36.09.

The time was still good enough to break the pool, US Open, American and NCAA records.

Individually, Silver finished third in the 100 freestyle, fourth in the 50 freestyle and tenth in the 200 yard freestyle.

Her time of 21.99 was good enough to not only break the pool record, but it was a personal best and broke the school record held by former Cal star and Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin.

Silver’s time of 47.45 in the 100 free also broke the pool record and according to Bob Silver, is the ninth fastest “performance” in US swimming history in that event, as several swimmers have had times faster than her time, hence the performance ranking is higher than the historical ranking.

The time also places Silver as the fifth fastest swimmer, US or foreign, in US swimming history in that event, according to US Swimming and NCAA records.

After she takes some time off, Silver will train in preparation for the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand in August.

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