Women's Swimming & Diving Gets Committments from Chinault, Weygand
May 4, 2005 | Women's Swimming and Diving
May 4, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The 2005 Conference USA Champion Tulane University women's swimming and diving program added to an already strong squad as high school seniors as Lauren Chinault of Houston, Texas, and Rachel Weygand of Chittenango, N.Y., committed to the Green Wave, head coach Daniella Irle announced Wednesday.
Chinault, a breaststroke and IM specialist, and freestyler Weygand will both be eligible to compete for the Green Wave as freshmen during the 2005-06 season. The pair will be part of an eight-member freshman class next season, joining swimmers Iana Boneva, Victoria Givens, Mallory Hoekstra and Christina Herubin, and divers Samantha Poyta and Pat Vining.
"When we restarted the program back in August 2003, our goal was to bring in a group of young and motivated student-athletes that could contribute right away," Irle said. "The first two signing classes have joined forces to win the 2005 Conference USA title, and with the addition of Lauren and Rachel, I feel the team will continue the slow, steady rise to national prominence."
A senior at Lamar High School and member of Houston Cougar Aquatics, Chinault earned first-team all-state honors in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay in 2002, and claimed the honor in the 200 and 400 free relays in 2005. She earned all-region honors in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and was named Co-MVP in 2003 and 2005.
Chinault was named captain of her high school team as a senior, helped set a school record in the 400 free relay, and was a USA Swimming sectional qualifier every year since 2001. He top times are 1:09.22 in the 100 breast, 2:30.46 in the 200 breast and 2:16.08 in the 200 IM.
Away from the pool, Chinault is a member of the National Honor Society, is on tap to graduate in the top two percent of her high school class, and earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-America honors in 2003 and 2004. The recipient of Tulane's Distinguished Scholars Award Scholarship, she chose the Green Wave over Bucknell and Houston.
"I am very pleased to have Lauren join our program," Irle said. "She is a tremendous student and a very hard-working athlete. That is a perfect combination for this team. Lauren expressed a desire to challenge herself to improve toward the national level. She realizes that she has a lot of work ahead of her, and that is exactly why she chose this program.
"She wants to be pushed to new limits, and I applaud that type of attitude. She has a team-first mentality, and that king of leadership in attitude is always valuable in a college program."
Weygand, meanwhile, signed with Tulane as a home-schooled, high school senior who swam for the Syracuse Chargers. She participated in the USA National Meet in the 400 free and 400 medley relays, and her top times are 24.44 in the 50 free, 53.05 in the 100 free and 1:55.85 in the 200 free.
Away from the pool, Weygand was recognized in Who's Who Among American High School Seniors and Who's Who Among American High School Athletes, and attended Onondage Community College on a part-time basis where she posted a 3.7 GPA. She chose Tulane over Villanova and Syracuse.
"Rachel is a very strong student and she has a passion for this sport," Irle said. "We have a very dominant group of sprinters here at Tulane, and I think that Rachel will improve dramatically given the opportunity to train with this group of young women.
"She is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to improve and contribute to the team. She is a good fit for us with her team-first mentality."
In just their second season, the 2004-05 Green Wave won the C-USA Swimming & Diving Championship that saw Tulane clinch the title with a 2.24-second victory over TCU in the 400 free relay, the final event of the tournament. Irle was named C-USA Coach of the Year, and Tulane earned All C-USA honors in nine events.
