Sommer ready to lead A&M swimming team down stretch run

Before senior Maria Sommer could help lead a young-talented group of freshmen, she had a personal hurdle of her own to overcome.

Sommer, who walked on the Texas A&M swim team in 2007, was diagnosed with mononucleosis a week into the school year this fall. As a captain and leader of the team, she found herself getting encouragement as much as giving it in her new role.

"I had to sit there and watch," Sommer said. "It was tough. The mental side came into it where everyone is saying at least it happened now and not at the end of the season. So I kind of got a late start, which wasn't the best way to start my senior year, but I knew I'd come back from it."

Sommer has returned, owning A&M's best times heading into the Big 12 Championships in her specialties, the 50-yard freestyle (22.74 seconds), and the 100 freestyle (49.78).

"We were concerned because she's a big part of this team," A&M women's swim coach Steve Bultman said. "We were all concerned about how long it would take. She had some spots to fill."

For the second straight season Bultman graduated a talented senior class after the 2009-10 season. The group included NCAA champions and Olympians Julia Wilkinson and Alia Atkinson.

"We lost some good girls, some people that have done some amazing things, that have taken us to the next level as a team, but Maria and a number of the other seniors have stepped up their game in the pool and out of the pool with leadership," Bultman said. "It was, 'Hey, we want to see this continue, and now it's our turn to be in charge and lead.'"

Indeed, Sommer says she is doing her best imitation of the seniors that have led the team before her.

"I wanted to be a leader for this team just like they were for me because that always helped me do my best," Sommer said. "I didn't want to just swim well for me. I wanted to swim well for the team."

A&M finished sixth last season at the NCAA Championships last season, improving on its eight-place finish in 2009.

The Aggies are ranked 10th entering the heart of the season, the Big 12 meet beginning Wednesday and the NCAAs on March 17-19. Both meets are in Austin.

Even though Sommer has stepped up her leadership, she doesn't have to say much to be an example to her teammates. The Brenham native has improved from barely earning a spot on the team to being the second best A&M performer in the 50 freestyle.

"She's been a great team person," Bultman said. "It's such a neat story where she's come from to where she is now. She'd never made junior nationals much less NCAAs, senior nationals or Olympic trials, and she's done all that now."

Despite her times in the 50 and 100 freestyles, Sommer has yet to qualify for NCAAs. Bultman has few concerns she will gain the times necessary this week in Austin.

Sommer has plenty of NCAA experience. Last year, she earned All-American status for swimming the first leg of A&M's 200 freestyle relay that finished fourth and the third leg on A&M's 400 freestyle relay that placed sixth.

Sommer will keep busy at the Big 12 meet, swimming three individual races -- 50 and 100 freestyles and 100 backstroke -- and at least three relays.

"At the end of last year I wasn't on the 4x100 relay at conference, but at NCAAs, Steve asked me because we had a couple of girls swimming a lot of events and he put me on the relay," Sommer said. "I was nervous because that was my first time on that relay with Julia and Sarah Woods and Melissa Hain. That kind of set the tone for this year, knowing that I'm good at the 50 and I'm good at the 100, too. That helped me for this year. I've improved and I'm excited to see if I can improve even more."

The defending Big 12 champion Aggies should battle No. 5 Texas again for the conference title, a race that could come down to the final leg of the final event, the 400 freestyle relay.

"I'm excited because it's always fun that last day, that last relay," Sommer said. "It's going to be intense, but that always makes us swim faster, knowing we're battling for a Big 12 championship."

What: Big 12 meet

Who: A&M, Texas and Missouri men and women, Nebraska, Iowa State and Kansas women.

Women -- A&M, UT, MiWhen: Wednesday through Saturday

Where: Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin