University of Missouri
Purdue Invite
Women Fifth, Men Sixth After Day One of Purdue Invite
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
On the women's side, freshman Jill Granger swam a 4:53.13 in the 500 free to break her own school record by .02 and junior Shannon Hogan tied for first in the 50 free after turning in a 23.22 swim in the prelims to move into second place in school history in the event. Freshman Lori Halvorson got into the act with a 2:05.04 effort in prelims in the 200 IM, which is good for fifth in all-time Mizzou history. In the 200 free relay, the team of Hogan, sophomore Katie Gates, sophomore Taye Patterson and Halvorson went 1:33.75, giving them the fourth-fastest time in school history.
Sophomore Bennett Clark led the way for the men, winning the 50 free in a time of 20.85 and turning in a season-best 20.81 in prelims.
"We had three all-time top-five swims and a school record - that's not something that happens everyday," Mizzou head coach Brian Hoffer said. "The points aren't working out in our favor right now, but I'm happy with what we've accomplished so far."
The women opened the festivities on a positive note with that all-time top-five performance in the 200 free, spurred on by a 50-yard split of 23.19 from Patterson. The men's team of senior Chris Lukas, sophomore Alex Zasadny, senior Dan Buhr and freshman Gilad Kaufman placed sixth in the event with a time 1:23.49.
Granger and fellow freshman Carly Sullivan kept the tide rolling in the Tigers' direction when they took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 500 free. Granger lowered her own school record to 4:53.15, while Sullivan produced a lifetime-best 4:55.14 in the finals. The freshman duo tallied 29 of the Mizzou women's 143.5 day-one points in the 500 free.
In the men's 500 free, freshman Brad Hubbard swam a lifetime-best 4:36.47 in prelims to earn a spot in the consolation heat Friday evening. He turned that berth into a point for the Mizzou men, finishing 16th in a time of 4:44.27 in the finals.
Halvorson added to her successful women's 200 IM prelim swim by placing eighth in finals with a time of 2:05.86. Sophomore Jill Bastien (11th) and junior captain Amy Charley (15th) also scored points for the Tigers in the event. Freshman Bryan Difford (11th), senior captain David Darmitzel (14th) and freshman Bobby Sundvold (16th) notched points for Mizzou in the men's 200 IM.
Next came the women's 50 free, an event in which Hogan swam her way into the second seed for finals. The race was even from the very start, and Hogan held a slight advantage over Northwestern's Andrea Hupman at the turn. When all was said and done, Hogan and Hupman touched the pad at exactly the same time, earning a tie for first in 23.22.
"That swim was a big breakthrough for Shannon," Hoffer said. "She was up against some great sprinters and she hadn't rested much or shaved down for this meet. I was really happy with her swim tonight."
On the men's side, Clark picked up a valuable 13.5 points for the Tigers when he tied Bryan Riekena of Southern Illinois for fifth in the men's 50 free.
Day one of the Purdue Invite concluded with the 400 medley relay. The Tigers took fifth in the event on the women's side and sixth in the men's race.
Freshman Kendra Melnychuk, who qualified in the eighth spot on the women's 1-meter board, placed fifth in the event.
"I'm happy with the intensity and energy we showed today," Hoffer said. "Some people came out and made a big difference for us. We're looking for a strong day tomorrow and a solid final two days of the meet."
Prelims begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, and finals are scheduled for 6 p.m. For all the latest from West Lafayette, Ind., check www.mutigers.com.
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 12
1. Purdue 232 2. University of Florida 200 3. University of Tennessee 182 4. Northwestern 144.50 5. Missouri 143.50 6. Missouri State 58 7. Southern Illinois University 51
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 12
1. University of Florida 254 2. Northwestern 179 3. Purdue 178 4. Southern Illinois 161.50 5. Missouri State 110 6. Missouri 79.50
Players Mentioned
