Herald Staff Report
(From the issue of 2/17/05)

Bishop O’Connell junior swimmer Kate Ziegler shattered a 25-year-old American record in the 800m freestyle Feb. 11 in New York to capture her first World Cup title. Ziegler’s time of 8:16.32 was more than two seconds faster than the former record of 8:18.77, which Sippy Woodhead set on Feb. 8, 1980.

Ziegler, 16, who won a silver medal in the same event at the Short Course World Championships in October, said she was more surprised than anyone at the record.

"This is really surreal," Ziegler said. "I’ve never broken any record that’s really big, so I’m really excited. I always go out hard and try to come back with everything I have. I usually see people coming up on me, and I was expecting that to happen again. I was just praying I could hold on."

Ziegler, who trains year-round with the FISH swim club, blew away the rest of the field in the 400m freestyle the following night, handily defeating Spain’s Erika Villaecija for her second World Cup title. Ziegler’s time of 4:05.52 was almost two seconds faster than her best time.

"I’ve really improved my training," Ziegler said. "Going to the World Championships (in October) and doing well at (Olympic) Trials were both huge. I feel like I belong on the same level as these girls. It has really helped boost my confidence."

Ziegler is a two-time All-Met selection who also swims in the summer for Great Falls in the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL). She was co-captain of the U.S. Junior Team which competed last year in Australia and just missed making the U.S. Olympic Team that traveled to Athens in August.