Flickinger Chasing Big Dreams
October 09, 2015 | Swimming & Diving
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Hali Flickinger concedes that she had a pretty good summer. The Georgia senior swimmer also concedes that she wanted to do better.
"To be honest, I wasn't as happy with it," the Spring Grove, Pa., native said Wednesday, three days before the Georgia men and women open their seasons Saturday at Gabrielson Natatorium against North Carolina.
Just to recap, Flickinger competed in the World University Games and the Phillips 66 National Championships this summer. And by most standards she did incredibly well. Better than that, even.
Most notably, at the Nationals in San Antonio in August, Flickinger earned four medals and received the Kiphuth High Point Award, which is given to the swimmer that earns the most points in the meet. Flickinger finished with 82 points to lead the women, while some guy named Michael Phelps led all the men with 74 points. Pretty good company.
At the Nationals, Flickinger won the 200-meter butterfly, was second in the 200 and 400 freestyle and placed third in the 200 backstroke.
During the World University Games, hosted by South Korea in July, Flickinger took third in the women's 400-meter individual medley and was part of the U.S. team's 4x200-meter freestyle relay squad (along with former Georgia teammate Shannon Vreeland) that won gold and set a new WUG record in the event.
And she wasn't doing cartwheels in celebration.
"It showed me that I do still have a long way to go, still," she said. "I have to keep going."
That kind of burning desire is music to Georgia coach Jack Bauerle's ears, though he's willing to say that he was very, very happy with what "Flick" did.
"It was an exceptional summer," he said, adding that he expected very big things. "Watching workouts, day in, day out, I would have been stunned had she not swum exceptionally well. ... It's about as much fun as I can have as a coach, coaching her right now. It's good stuff."
Flickinger, like many of her Georgia teammates, is hoping for more good stuff with the Bulldogs in 2015-16 — and not too far down the road now at the U.S. Olympic Trials next summer. And after that, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio next August. Georgia had 13 swimmers with ties to the program compete in the 2012 Games.
"Time is getting closer and closer, so there's only so much time you have to make the leaps that you want to," she said. "I have big expectations on myself and I still have a long way to go to reach them. It definitely puts a little more pressure on, knowing it's so close.
"Jack keeps telling me I need to just keep doing what I'm doing and I should see the result that I want."
Bauerle said there's a "different feel" to training when an Olympics is on the horizon. Everyone wants to qualify for the Trials and advance at the Trials and hopefully finish first or second in an event to qualify for the Games. Everyone is chasing big dreams and pushing one another and rooting for one another to make it.
"Even on workout (sheets), I usually put the Olympic rings. We do little countdown days and stuff; it's always in the back of the mind — actually, it's always in the front of the mind," he said. "They all have aspirations and everyone's Olympic Trials are on everyone's minds in an Olympic year, including the coaches'.
Bauerle added: "It's a fun year and it's the most exciting year of their careers, by far. They're either going to be on a team or know somebody that's going to be on one. We have some pretty good chances here, as always."
In September USA Swimming announced its 2015-16 national team, and Flickinger was one of 11 current or former Georgia swimmers to make the men's and women's team. She qualified in four events (200 and 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly and the 400 IM). To make the roster swimmers have to have been among the six highest ranked Americans in each Olympic event from the start of 2015 to Aug. 10.
Flickinger said she's taken four days off since the Nationals. And she won't be letting up anytime soon, not while competing for Georgia and chasing her Olympic dreams.
"My head is really into swimming right now and I know my goals, and like I said, I have a lot of work to do in order to get there," she said. "So for me, I'm ready to do it; I'm ready to put in the sacrifice to do it. I'm 100 percent in."
John Frierson is a staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can follow him on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
