One of America’s most versatile swimmers, Kaitlin Sandeno seems poised for a brilliant 2004 junior year. Coming off of a huge sophomore campaign that saw her catapult a five-time All-American performance at the NCAA Championships into three wins at the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals, co-captain Sandeno has momentum on her side. A stalwart in all strokes, she will challenge for NCAA titles in any event in which she’s entered. She begins her junior season with seven USC records (five individually) and has won nine career U.S. titles.
2003: Sandeno had a huge sophomore season in 2003, swimming healthy after battling injuries as a freshman. She turned in a team-high five All-American performances, including three top-3 finishes. She finished second in the 500y free (4:39.31, a USC record) and third in both the 400y IM (4:07.20) and the 1650y free (15:58.58). Sandeno also led off the Trojans’ third-place 800y free relay and their eighth-place 400y medley relay in addition to swimming on USC’s 400y free relay ... At the 2003 Pac-10s, Sandeno won titles in the 500y free (4:39.50), 1650y free (15:54.51, a USC record) and the 400y IM (4:09.14). She also anchored USC’s winning 800y free relay, becoming the first Trojan to win a combined four Pac-10 titles since Sue Habernigg won a combined five in 1985. Her times in the 500y and 1650y freestyles broke her own school records (the 500 was broken again at NCAAs) and her time of 9:37.83 in the first 1000 yards of the mile also set a school record. In fact, Sandeno was the first Trojan ever to go under 16 minutes in the mile … Sandeno continued her strong swimming at the 2003 U.S. Spring Nationals, winning her sixth career national title in the 400m IM and seventh overall in 4:45.48, breaking Kristine Quance’s 1994 school record of 4:45.50. She also placed second in the 200m fly (2:10.02, a USC a record), fifth in the 800m free (8:40.33) and 16th in the 400m free (4:16.99) … Just a couple of days later in the U.S.-Australia Duel in the Pool, Sandeno shattered her recently set 400m IM record, dropping it to 4:41.89. She also won the 200m fly (2:10.69) in the highly publicized meet … Later in the summer, at the 2003 U.S. Summer Nationals, Sandeno earned the meet’s individual high point award as she won three individual and one relay title. She took firsts in the 400m IM (4:40.82), 200m fly (2:08.78) and the 200m IM (2:12.97, a national meet record). She also helped Trojan Swim Club to first in the 800m free relay as well as posting a second in the 800m free (8:34.61) and a third in the 400m free (4:11.08).
2002: Despite a severe back strain that limited Sandeno’s training until the final four weeks of the season, she was still among USC’s top swimmers in 2002 and was a three-time All-American at the 2002 NCAAs … She finished fourth in the 400y IM (4:11.30) and sixth in the 200y fly (1:57.68) and helped the 800y free relay to seventh. She was also 21st in the 500y free (4:47.43) … At the 2002 Pac-10s, she was fifth in the 200y fly (1:59.92) and sixth in the 400y IM (4:20.03) … At the 2002 U.S. Summer Nationals, she finalled in the 200m fly (2:13.04) and reached the consolation finals of the 400m IM.
HIGH SCHOOL: Sandeno had a spectacular career while a prep at El Toro High in Lake Forest, Calif., and with the Nellie Gail Saddleback Valley Club, establishing herself as one of the top swimmers in the world. She qualified for and competed in three of the most grueling events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning a bronze in the 800m free. She finished fourth in the 400m IM and sixth in the 200m fly ... Before graduating from El Toro, Sandeno won her fifth and sixth career U.S. national titles at the 2001 U.S. Spring National, taking the 400m IM and the 200m fly. She also took seconds in the 400m and 800m free. At the 2001 World Championships, Sandeno competed in four events, taking bronzes in the 200m fly (2:08.52) and 800m free (8:31.45). She was also fifth in the 400m IM (4:43.13) and sixth in the 1500m free (16:28.91). She is among only six women ever to qualify for four events at the Worlds (joining, among others, former Trojans Sippy Woodhead and Kristine Quance-Julian and former USC coach Janet Evans) ... Sandeno owns five career U.S. national titles in the 400m IM and one in the 200m fly ... In addition to her national titles at the 2001 Spring Nationals in the 400m IM and 200m fly, she has won the 400m IM at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, 2000 Spring Nationals and the 1999 Spring and Summer Nationals ... She won gold medals in the 400m and 800m free at the 1999 Pan Am Games, setting a meet record in the latter.
PERSONAL: Her birthday is March 13, 1983 ... She’s been nicknamed both Energizer and Fish ... She was her high school’s Homecoming Queen and Class President her freshman through junior years and was vice president as a senior ... She lists Janet Evans as her sports hero.
In 2004
Won four gold medals in the 400m free, 200m fly, 400m IM (American record) and 800m free relay (U.S. Open record) at Short Course World Championships … gold medalist on the 800m free relay that broke the 17-year-old world record at the Olympic Games; also won silver in the 400m IM in American record time, bronze in the 400m free and finished fourth in the 200m fly … qualified for 2004 Olympic team in four of the five events she swam at Olympic Trials; finished third in 200m free, first in 400m free, sixth in 800m free, second in 200m fly and second in 400m IM at Trials … broke the American record in the 400m IM (scm) in winning the title as well as the 200m IM title and took second in the 200m fly at the NCAA Championships.
In 2003
Named the women's Kiphuth Award winner after winning the 200m fly, the 200m IM (in a LC Nationals record) and the 400m IM at the CP Summer Nationals; also was second in the 800m free and third in the 400m free … won the 200m fly and the 400m IM at the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool … won her seventh U.S. National title taking the 400m IM at the CP Spring Nationals; also was fifth in the 800m free and second in the 200m fly … was second in the 500y free and third in the 1650y free and the 400y IM at the NCAA Championships.
In 2002
Placed sixth in the 200m fly at P66 Summer Nationals … placed fourth in the 400y IM and sixth in the 200y fly at NCAAs.
In 2001
Bronze medalist in 800m free and 200m fly and placed fifth in 400m IM at World Championships ... won 200m fly and 400m IM and was second in 400m and 800m free at P66 Spring Nationals, earning five World Championship berths.
International Medals
Olympic Games
2004:
1st - 800m MR (WR)
2nd - 400m IM (AR)
3rd - 400m free
2000:
3rd - 800m free
3rd - 200m fly
World Championships
2001:
3rd - 800m free
3rd - 200m fly
Pan American Games
1999:
1st - 400m free
1st - 800m free (MR)
Short Course World Championships
2004:
1st - 400m free
1st - 200m fly
1st - 400m IM (AR)
1st - 800m FR (USO)
U.S. National Titles
200m fly (2): '03 SUM, '01 SPG
200m IM (1): ’03 SUM
400m IM (7): '03 SUM, '03 SPG, ’01 SPG, ’00 SUM, '00 SPG, '99 SUM, '99 SPG
World Rankings
2000:
25th - 400 free
3rd - 800m free
7th - 200fly
86th - 200 IM
4th - 400 IM
2001:
14th - 400m free
3rd - 800m free
7th - 1500 free
3rd - 200 fly
7th - 400 IM
2002:
41st - 200 fly
55th - 400 IM
2003:
107th - 100m free
54th - 200m free
17th - 400 free
13th - 800 free
69th - 1500 free
101st - 100 back
5th - 200 fly
4th 200 IM
3rd - 400 IM
2004:
24th - 200 Free
3rd - 400 IM
16th - 800 Free
4th - 200 Fly
20th - 200 IM
2nd - 400 IM