Truman State University Athletics

The 2006 Truman State University Women’s Swimming Team secured its place in NCAA Division II history by accomplishing what no other women’s swimming program had achieved before: a sixth consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship. Under first-year head coach Mark Gole, the Bulldogs overcame significant coaching and roster transitions to extend one of the greatest dynasties in collegiate athletics.

The season began with considerable uncertainty despite Truman’s recent dominance. The Bulldogs entered 2005-06 having won five consecutive national championships, but the program faced major changes. Three-time NCAA Division II Coach of the Year Colleen Murphy had departed after guiding Truman to national titles from 2003 through 2005, and the Bulldogs graduated one of the most accomplished senior classes in program history, including 28-time All-Americans Diana Betsworth and Sarah Dance, along with national standout Michaela Osborn.

Mark Gole inherited the nation’s premier Division II women’s swimming program and immediately maintained the standard of excellence established by his predecessors. Truman posted an 8-3 dual-meet record, finished second at the Notre Dame Invitational, captured the New South Intercollegiate Swimming Conference championship, and entered the NCAA Championships seeking a record-setting sixth consecutive national title.

At the NCAA Division II Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Bulldogs left little doubt about their status as the nation’s top team. Truman scored 664 points, defeating runner-up Drury by 159 points and completing the most dominant championship performance since the program’s record-setting victory in 2003. The Bulldogs’ sixth consecutive title established a new NCAA Division II women’s swimming record and broke the previous mark of five consecutive championships shared by Truman and Oakland University.

Depth once again proved to be Truman’s greatest strength. Seventeen of the team’s eighteen national championship competitors earned either All-America or Honorable Mention All-America recognition by scoring points at the national meet. The Bulldogs accumulated points in virtually every event and consistently overwhelmed the competition through balance and depth rather than reliance on a small number of individual champions.

Relay performances played a crucial role in the championship run. Truman captured national championships in both the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay. The 200 medley relay team of Emily Greenwood, Brigit Brunsman, Laura Harp, and Whitney Jensen opened the NCAA Championships with a national title and a time of 1:44.36. Later in the meet, the 800 freestyle relay team of Jacqui Dempsey, Whitney Wodstrchill, Lija Kaleps-Clark, and Molly Polette added a second relay championship. The Bulldogs also placed third in both the 400 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay while finishing fifth in the 200 freestyle relay.

Senior Whitney Jensen concluded an extraordinary career by earning seven All-America honors. Jensen placed third in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events, fourth in the 200-yard freestyle, and contributed to four relay scoring performances. Fellow senior Katie Funk earned four All-America honors with top-seven finishes in the 500-yard, 1,000-yard, and 1,650-yard freestyle events.

Junior standout Lija Kaleps-Clark emerged as one of the nation’s premier individual swimmers. She earned five All-America honors, highlighted by NCAA runner-up finishes in both the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medleys. Kaleps-Clark also finished sixth in the 200-yard backstroke, eighth in the 100-yard backstroke, and swam on the national champion 800 freestyle relay.

Sophomore Whitney Wodstrchill delivered one of the most impressive performances of the championship meet, earning six All-America honors. She finished runner-up in the 200-yard backstroke, third in the 500-yard freestyle, fourth in both the 1,000-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley, and swam on both the national champion 800 freestyle relay and third-place 400 freestyle relay.

Sophomore Molly Polette also earned six All-America honors. Polette finished second in the 200-yard freestyle, third in the 1,650-yard freestyle, seventh in the 500-yard freestyle, eighth in the 1,000-yard freestyle, and contributed to both the national champion 800 freestyle relay and third-place 400 freestyle relay.

Additional major contributors included Emily Greenwood, who earned All-America honors in both backstroke events and on the national championship medley relay; Brittany Anderson, who placed fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke; Lindsay Vaughan, who finished fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke; and freshman Jacqui Dempsey, whose seventh-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle and participation on the national champion 800 freestyle relay signaled the arrival of another strong recruiting class.

The Bulldogs continued to excel in the classroom. The women’s team posted a 3.41 cumulative GPA and finished fifth nationally in Division II for academic performance. The program was the only team in the nation to rank among the top five academically while also finishing among the top five competitively at the NCAA Championships. Brittany Anderson earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team honors, while Lija Kaleps-Clark was selected to the Academic All-America Second Team. Numerous Bulldogs also received CSCAA Academic All-America recognition.

For his leadership during one of the most challenging transitions in program history, Mark Gole was named NCAA Division II Women’s Coach of the Year. His honor extended Truman’s unprecedented streak to eight consecutive national coaching awards, following four straight awards earned by Seth Huston and three by Colleen Murphy.

The 2006 team represented both the culmination of a dynasty and the beginning of a new era. By surviving another coaching change, replacing an exceptional graduating class, and capturing a sixth consecutive national championship, the Bulldogs accomplished something no Division II women’s swimming program had ever achieved. Their record-setting championship remains one of the crowning achievements in Truman State University athletics history.

2005-06 Schedule and Results

Season Summary

• Dual Meet Record: 8-3

• NSISC Champions

• NCAA Division II National Champions

• NCAA Championship Score: 664 points

• NCAA Runner-Up: Drury (505 points)

• Margin of Victory: 159 points

• First NCAA Division II women's swimming program to win six consecutive national championships

All-Americans and Honorable Mention All-Americans

2005-06 Championship Roster

Alphabetical by Last Name