Yulduz Kuchkarova
2016-17 (Senior)
A member of the Fall Academic All-Big 12 First Team … Named CollegeSwimming.com’s Big 12 Swimmer of the Week (11/22) … Earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors at the Big 12 Championship (2/22-25) with three top-11 individual finishes and four top-three relay finishes … Swam a lifetime-best 50-yard freestyle (23.29) to tie for 11th at the conference meet … Finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke (54.35) and sixth in the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.95) at the Big 12 meet … Contributed to second-place finishes at the conference meet in the 200-yard medley relay (1:40.03) and 400-yard medley relay (3:39.66), a tie for second in the 400-yard freestyle relay and third in the 200-yard freestyle relay … Won the 50-yard backstroke (26.45) at the San Diego Shootout (1/7) … Registered two wins in the 100-yard backstroke, swimming 56.74 against TCU (10/27) and a season-best 54.03 at the Kansas Classic (11/18-20) … Participated in 200-yard medley relay wins, recording times of 1:44.40 against Iowa State (2/3-4), 1:44.90 versus TCU and 1:45.79 in a double dual against North Dakota and Missouri (10/21-22) … Contributed to KU’s winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:33.04) team at the Kansas Classic … A member of several winning 400-yard freestyle relay teams, including the Kansas Classic (3:23.60), Arkansas on January 28 (3:28.23), Iowa State (3:30.25), TCU (3:30.93) and North Dakota and Missouri State (3:31.75) … Set new Mabee Center pool records in all of her events at William Jewell (1/19), including the 100-meter short course freestyle (57.16), 200-meter short course freestyle relay (1:46.14) and 200-meter short course medley relay (1:58.26).
2015-16 (Junior)
Registered a second-place finish in the 100- yard backstroke and a third-place finish in the 200-yard backstrokes at the Big 12 Championships, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors in both events… A member of the 200 and 400 medley relays at the conference meet, tallying an additional pair of second-place performances… Lowered her own Uzbekistani national record in the 100-meter backstroke at USA Winter Nationals with a lifetime-best time of 1:01.69, a performance which earned her a FINA B cut for 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics… Carved two lifetime-best marks while earning meet records in the 100 back (53.09) and the 200 back (1:55.87) at the Big Challenge, both times making the NCAA B standard… Both career-best times at the Big Challenge maintained her top-two times in Kansas’ all-time records… Recorded a personal record in the 50-yard freestyle at Big 12s, the second-fastest time on the team all season… Earned the top times on the squad in both backstroke events… Placed in the top-two in 13 races throughout her junior campaign.
2014-15 (Sophomore)
Holds the second-fastest all-time Kansas team times in both the 100-yard backstroke (53.41) and 200-yard backstroke (1:56.16), both times making the NCAA B Standard… Placed in the top-three in the 100-yard backstroke at every competition during the season… Closed out the season placing second overall in the 100-yard backstroke (53.41) and 200-yard backstroke (1:56.16) at the 2015 Big 12 Championships (2/25-28)… Held the second-fastest 2014-15 team time in the 50-yard freestyle with a career-best 23.40 set at the conference meet to finish 10th… A member of the second-place 400-yard medley relay (3:40.18) and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:23.83) as well as third-place 200-yard freestyle relay (1:32.21) at the league meet… Broke the Robinson Natatorium pool record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.83 at the Jayhawk Open (12/6)… Set three Mabee Center pool records in the 200-meter medley relay (1:58.35), 200-meter backstroke (2:18.43) and 400-meter freestyle relay (3:57.84) in a double-dual against William Jewell and Truman State (1/24).
2013-14 (Freshman)
Recorded the top 2013-14 team time in the backstroke events: 100-yard backstroke (54.21) and 200-yard backstroke (1:57.14)… Took home a second-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (25.21) in a double dual against UNO and UND (11/2)… Finished third in the 100-yard backstroke (58.55) against Illinois (11/9)… Earned two top-two finishes at the 2013 Kansas Classic (11/22-24), finishing first in the 100-yard backstroke (56.34) and second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:02.13)… Was the only freshman to represent the Jayhawks at the 2013 AT&T Winter Nationals (12/5-7) where she placed 30th in the 100-yard backstroke (55.08) and 38th in the 200-yard backstroke (2:00.02)… Took home first-place finishes in the 100-yard backstroke at back-to-back meets; double dual against Rollins and Tampa (57.54) and University of Arkansas-Little Rock dual (57.60)… Had a second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (56.84) against Arkansas and Vanderbilt (2/1)… Picked up another second-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke (2:04.74) against Iowa State (2/7-8)… Closed out the season by finishing second overall in the 100-yard backstroke when she achieved her career-best time of 54.21 and placed third in the 200-yard backstroke (1:57.14) at the 2014 Big 12 Championships (2/26-3/1).
High School
Swam at Redlands Swim Team in California… Holds records for 100- and 200-yard backstroke, along with the 50- and 100-yard freestyle.
Personal
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan… Parents are Sayera Kuchkarova and Rustav Kucharov…Undecided on major… Plans to become a swimming coach after school.