The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GLASGOW, Scotland — Another event and another lifetime best for Ariel Weech.

The 24-year-old, who still has some unfinished business at the University of Nebraska, will now pack her bags leaving the 20th Commonwealth Games more than thrilled by her efforts in her two events.

“I thought I swum better this morning, but I will have to check my split, maybe something was a little off,” she said. “It felt great, so I really have to check with my coach to see what happened.

“But I’m really glad that I made it this far. Couldn’t imagine going this far, but I did it, so I’m really happy.”

On Sunday during the preliminaries of the women’s 100m freestyle, Weech clocked 56.50 seconds for fifth place in a reunion with fellow Bahamian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, who got second in 54.90.

Qualifying for the semi- final, Weech came back in the evening session and and swam 56.58 for seventh place. She ended up 15th overall.

“I expected to swim fast and get lifetime best swims and the fact that I made the semifinals in both of my swims was a bonus, so I’m pretty happy,” she said. “I’m more than happy.”

While she will now get to join everybody else in cheering for Vanderpool-Wallace as she goes for a medal, Weech said she was honoured to swim in the same heat as her, not just once but twice, in the same meet.

“I know I have a lot more work to do,” she said about her future. “I’m improving every time I swim so Rio (de Janeiro, Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games) looks great.”

In November, Weech will be back representing the Bahamas when she heads to the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in November. There she hopes to use this experience as a motivation for even greater success.

But as soon as she leaves Glasgow, she will be heading to the University of Nebraska where she will be graduating on April 16 with her degree in psychology and pre-medicine.

“It’s been a great experience there,” she said of her four years as a member of the Huskies women’s swim team where she was also a strong performer in the classroom. She claimed second-team academic All-Big 12 honours in 2011, earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honour Roll in the spring semesters of 2012 and 2013 and was a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honour Roll.

Born on October 28, 1991, to parents Andre and Theda Weech, she is a second generation swimmer, following in the footsteps of her mother. She has two sisters, Amber and Andreas, who are also actively involved in swimming.

Does her future call for a journey through the professional ranks as Vanderpool-Wallace? Weech is not certain as yet. But one thing is for sure, and that is she will enjoy her appearance at the 20th Commonwealth Games this week.