March 4, 2003

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -

Four members of the University of Missouri swimming team competed at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas for one final shot at improving their times in hopes of a NCAA Championship birth. Senior Tiffany Bohon and juniors Andrea Nigh, Rebecca Wolfe and Sarah Lo all improved their chances of such a birth. Bohon, Nigh and Lo combined to break four school records at the meet.

Bohon started off the meet breaking her own 100 breaststroke record. Her time of 1:02.99 bettered her old school record of 1:03.17 set at the Big 12 Championships. Her time provisionally qualified her for the NCAAs.

Lo finished first in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:59.40. Her time set a new school, breaking the old record set by Lo at the Minnesota Invitational (2:00.05). Her time is also a provisional time. Lo had only one event to rest before her next event, the 100 backstroke. Lo showed no ill effects from her earlier record breaking performance by breaking the 100 backstroke record. Her time of 55.39 broke the old team record set at last years Big 12 Championship by teammate Amanda Morford (55.53). Her time is also a NCAA provisional time.

In the 100 freestyle, Nigh improved on her school record time with a 50.20. That time is also a NCAA provisional time.

In the span of 35 minutes, four school records were broken.

"I'm very pleased with our performance," said head coach Brian Hoffer. "We came here with the specific goal of improving our times and we accomplished that goal. Now we have to sit and wait too see if their times are good enough for the NCAAs. I feel really good about our times though."

The Arkansas Invite had six teams in attendance including host Arkansas, Southwest Missouri State, Kansas and Drury.

The women's NCAA Championships are on March 20 thru 22 in Auburn, Alabama.