As a Senior (2012-13): Chaney finished off her career on The Hill with eight top-10 finishes in her final season, including four in the top five. Chaney helped WKU to its ninth Sun Belt Conference Championship after scoring in three events at the competition. Her highest finish at the championship came in the 1650 free where her school-record 16:41.29 placed her fourth. She also took sixth in the 500 free (4:54.35) and seventh in the 200 back (2:01.26). Chaney holds the top times for the season in the 1000 free (10:03.45) and 1650 free, both set at the SBC Championship. During the regular season, Chaney placed highest against Vanderbilt/Tulane and Florida Atlantic/Nova Southeastern with a pair of fourth-place times. Against Vandy/Tulane, Chaney finished the 1000 free in 10:28.68 while in the latter competition, she finished the 500 free in 5:07.05. Chaney competed in five different individual events during the season while also participating in numerous relay events, including notching a pair of first-place times in the 800 free during the Hilltopper Invite and 200 medley against Evansville.
As a Junior (2011-12): Laurel Chaney put together a junior season that saw her nine top-5 finish, never place outside the top 10 and be named a CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Honorable Mention All-American. Chaney also scored in three events at the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, her best finish coming in the 1,650 freestyle. She place fourth with a school-record time of 16:44.70. Chaney also set the school record with her 1,000 split time of 10:05.74. Also at the championship meet, she placed seventh in the 100 back and eighth in the 200 back. In the prelims of the 200 backstroke event, she swam an NCAA 'B' cut time of 1:58.68. Chaney posted her best finish of the year in the 1,000 free against the University of the Cumberlands, winning the event with a time of 10:19.96.
As a Sophomore (2010-11): In her second year at WKU, Chaney finished her season with nine top-5 finishes and finished outside of the top 10 only three times. Her times in the 100 and 200 backstroke rank among the top 5 on the squad for the year. Chaney scored in three events at the Sun Belt Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, her best finish fourth in the 100 back (55.63). She also finished 15th in the 50 freestyle (24.13) and seventh in the 200 back (2:02.17). Chaney tallied an event win in the 200 back against Evansville with a time of 2:07. She was also awarded WKU[apos]s most dedicated in dryland.
As a Freshman (2009-10): In her first season at WKU, Laurel Chaney captured six top-five finishes in the 50 free and 100- and 200- freestyle events. Chaney[apos]s top performance of the season was a second-place finish in the 200 back in a double-dual meet against New Orleans and Tulane. Chaney also scored in two events at the 2010 SBC Championships (100- and 200-back). Her top finish was fifth place in the 200 back, clocking in at a season-best 2:03.34.
High School: Attended Bearden High School and lettered four years ... named an All-American all four years she swam for the Aquadawgs.
Personal: Born August 3, 1991 ... daughter of Kim Chaney and the late Rick Chaney ... majoring in health science.
