University of Missouri
RiceInvite
Women's Swimmers Finish Fourth at Continental Airlines Invite
11/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 10, 2001
COLUMBIA, Mo. - While one half of the Missouri women's swimming and diving team is competing in Champaign, Ill., the other half competed at the Continental Airlines Invite in Houston, Texas on the campus of Rice University. The Tigers finished in fourth place with 172. The University of California, ranked in the top-10 in preseason polls, won the meet with 227 points. Virginia finished in second place with 195 points. Missouri finished in a tie for fourth place just six points behind Rice University (178 points). The University of Washington tied the Tigers for fourth with 172 points while nationally-ranked Penn State finished in sixth place with 155 points.
Missouri Head Coach Brian Hoffer was pleased with the Tigers performance.
"I thought we really swam well today," said Hoffer. "We did not do well at this meet last year, so I think the way we performed today is a sign that we are moving in the right direction."
The Tigers got off to a great start by placing second in the 400 medley relay. The team of Sarah Lo, Becca Dawson, Tiffany Bohon and Andrea Nigh turned in the fifth fastest time in school history, 3:50.63.
"That was a big relay for us," said Hoffer. "We really looked in that race."
Sophomore Rebecca Wolfe reached the finals in two events for the Tigers. Wolfe finished fifth in the 1000 freestyle (10:21.71) and placed second in the 200 butterfly in a time of 2:03.51. Sophomore Andrea Nigh also performed well, finishing in fourth place in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events.
Freshman Mariona Costa and junior Katy Chandler were both two-event finalists for Missouri. Costa finished in third place in the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:21.23. She was sixth in the 400 individual medley (4:44.29). Chandler was fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:52.61) and fourth in the 500 freestyle (5:02.62).
Sophomore Sarah Lo came in second place in the 200 backstroke. Her time was 2:04.89.
The Tigers are back in action this coming weekend beginning Friday morning at the Pittsburgh Invite in Pittsburgh, Pa. Hoffer hopes that his Lady Tigers will carry the momentum from this week's meet into the Pittsburgh Invite.
"We beat a nationally-ranked team in Penn State, and we were right there all night long with Washington and Rice who are both great teams. I feel really good about the direction this team is going in."
