Feb. 17, 2000
COLUMBIA, Mo.- The Missouri women's swimming and diving team put together a solid showing on day one of the 2000 Big 12 Championships in College Station, Texas on Thursday. The Tigers are in fifth place and just 26 points behind Kansas for the fourth spot. Missouri has never been this close to fourth place after day one of the conference championships.
Two school records fell and three individuals reached the finals for Mizzou. The 200 freestyle relay team (JEANNA WILLI, KIM LAMBERT, TARA BROOKS, ELLEN CROSS) kicked off the meet with a fourth place finish in a school record time of one minute, 33.55 seconds.
The Missouri 400 medley relay team also placed fourth in school record time. The team of RIKKI JANES, LESLIE HOH, JEANNA WILLI and KIM LAMBERT recorded a time of three minutes, 49.17 seconds.
The biggest event of the night for Missouri was the 200 individual medley. Freshman LESLIE HOH turned in a personal-best time of two minutes, 3.75 seconds to place fifth in the event. Hoh's time was also a NCAA consideration cut time. Senior TAWNEY LARM joined Hoh on the winners' blocks by placing seventh in the event with a time of two minutes, 6.16 seconds. KARA BRAMER added points for the Tigers with a sixth place finish in the consolation race.
"I thought Leslie (Hoh) and Tawney (Larm) did a great job tonight," said Coach BRIAN HOFFER. "They are our go-to kids and they stepped up the way I thought they would."
The surprise of the night for Missouri occurred in the one-meter diving event where KRISTY WANNER became the first Missouri diver to ever reach the finals of a diving competition since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Wanner placed seventh on the one-meter board with a score of 377.00.
"I thought this was a possibility coming into the meet," said MU Diving Coach PAT MCCORD. "She was real solid tonight and I'm really proud of her."
Four Missouri swimmers scored in the 50 freestyle consolation race with the Tigers taking first and second place. Junior JEANNA WILLI won the race in a time of 23.64 while teammate KIM LAMBERT finished close behind in second place in a time of 23.70 seconds. Freshman ELLEN CROSS and sophomore TARA BROOKS placed fifth and sixth respectively for Mizzou.
The Tigers also received points in the 500 freestyle where sophomore MOLLY VETTER and freshman KATY CHANDLER placed sixth and eighth respectively in the consolation race.
Overall, Hoffer was very happy with Missouri's opening day performance.
"It is a solid start and we have lot left heading into tomorrow," said Hoffer. "I'm real pleased with the school record and I feel we put ourselves in a real good position. Tomorrow is a big day for us."
The University of Texas is the leader after day one with 280 points. Texas A&M is in second with 209. Just 36 points separate the third through fifth place teams. Nebraska owns the third spot with 166 points. Kansas at 156 points is just 10 behind and Missouri is only 36 points out of third place with 130. Iowa State is in sixth place with 59 points.
*Winner and MU Only200 Free Relay
1. Texas 1:31.39# 4. Missouri 1:33.65^ (Willi, Lambert, Brooks, Cross)
500 Free Relay
1. S. Johnson, NU 4:47.35# 14. Molly Vetter 5:01.81 (4:56.01p) 16. Katy Chandler 5:08.23 (5:00.95p) 20. Cristina Souza 5:04.42 23. Sarah Stowe 5:05.72 (5:02.73p)
200 IM
1. A. Legendre, UT 2:01.05# 5. Leslie Hoh 2:03.75# 7. Tawney Larm 2:06.16 (2:05.55p) 14. Kara Bramer 2:07.57 (2:06.52) 22. Chrissy Frieh 2:09.23 30. Kendra Jacobs 2:10.52 32. Tiffany Bohon 2:11.42 ex. Buffy Milner 2:14.05
50 Free
1. C. Lanne, UT 22.68* 9. Jeanna Willi 23.64 (23.56p) 10. Kim Lambert 23.70 13. Ellen Cross 24.17 (24.00p) 14. Tara Brooks 24.18 (23.98p) 23. Whitney Nigh 24.72 (24.44p) 35. Julia Alexander 25.21 36. Kristin Ziemke 25.65 ex. Rikki Janes 24.22 ex. Kendra Jacobs 25.01
1-meter Diving
1. N. Diea, UT 433.75! 7. Kristy Wanner 377.00^ 15. Erin Wilke 327.25 22. Kelly Pazoli 265.70
400 Medley Relay
1. Texas 3:42.46# 4. Missouri 3:49.17^ (Janes, Hoh, Willi, Lambert)