Berkeley Aquatic Swimmer Qualifies for 2012 Olympic Trials

Jillian Altenburger, a 22-year-old member of the swim team, qualified to participate in the 2012 Olympic Swimming Trials at the Berkeley Aquatic Club Memorial Day Invitational Swim Meet, held on May 26 at Rutgers University’s Sonny Werblin Recreation Center.

Jillian, a Mendham resident, swam the 200 Meter Freestyle in 2:02.56, besting the qualification time of 2:03.19. The Olympic Trials will be held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 25 to July 2. The top two swimmers in each event will represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London later in July.

Jillian is a member of the class of 2013 at Princeton University, majoring in History, and she hopes to pursue a career in finance or fashion when she graduates.  

She has been training with Coach Jim Wood at Berkeley Aquatic since she was eleven years old. In 2008, she qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 200 Meter Individual Medley with a 2:20.17 and bested that time at Trials with a 2:19.55.  

Jillian has continued to train with the Berkeley Aquatic Club during breaks from Princeton for the past three years. Jillian is the daughter of Raymond Altenburger of Mendham and graduated from Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown in 2008.

As a member of the Princeton University Swim team, Jillian placed second at the 2011 Ivy League Championships in both the 200 yard Freestyle and the 200 yard Individual Medley, and was a member of the winning 400 yard Freestyle Relay, setting both a meet and Ivy League record which still stand.  

When asked if she was surprised to make the cut at the Memorial Day Meet, Jillian said, “I was grateful and quite relieved that I finally made it. Earlier in the year, I tried to get it at a couple of meets. This was my last chance to make the cut so I was definitely very happy when I saw the scoreboard at the end of the race.”  

Berkeley Aquatic Club has been a USA Swimming Organization since 1977, founded by Jim Wood, Head Coach. The facility is located at 649 Springfield Ave. in Berkeley Heights. For more information, call (908) 464-0574 or visit www.berkeleyaquatic.org.