Oct. 30, 2004
Results
Columbia, Mo. - Spurred on by a 1-2-3 finish in the three-meter dive and first-place finishes in two of the last three swimming events, the Missouri women's swimming and diving team pulled off a comeback win over arch rival Kansas Saturday afternoon at the University Natatorium. The final score of the meet was 157-144.
The Jayhawks jumped out to an early lead by taking first place in the meet's first five events. Sophomores Emily Knopp and Hannah Bakke finished first in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, respectively, and senior Aly Colver won the 200-yard freestyle for Kansas. Missouri senior Becca Dawson (Wildwood, Mo. / Lafayette) stopped the Tigers' slide with a win in 200-yard butterfly.
Kansas headed into the first diving break with a 23-point lead, but saw that margin dwindle in the one-meter dive. Freshman Rachel Witt (Northbrook, Ill. / Glenbrook North) finished first in the event, followed by senior Anna Massey (Springfield, Ill. / Springfield). Sophomore Kim Massaro (San Antonio, Texas / Ronald Reagan), who finished fifth, rounded out a trio of Tigers in the top five.
The second portion of the meet started out the same way as the first, with Kansas senior Amy Gruber finishing first in the 100-yard freestyle, but the Tigers quickly retaliated. Freshman Sarah Menefee (Louisville, Ken. / Sacred Heart Acad.) took first in the 200-yard backstroke, and senior Mariona Costa (Barcelona, Spain / Ies del Car) won the 200-yard breaststroke.
Kansas, however, won the last two events of the meet's second part, including another win by Gruber, this time in the 100-yard butterfly. As the teams headed into the second diving break, the Jayhawks still held a lead of nearly 20 points.
After the three-meter dive, though, that lead had been significantly reduced by Missouri's sweep of the events top three places. Junior Nicole Frazier (St. Peters, Mo. / Francis Howell) captured the top spot, followed by Massey and Witt, respectively.
In the 200-yard individual medley, the second-to-last event of the meet, sophomore Amy Charley (Afton, Va. / Waynesboro) took first place by almost two seconds. The win gave the Tigers a five-point lead, the first advantage they had enjoyed all day, heading into the final event.
In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the team of junior Liz Schoborg (Cincinnati, Ohio / Oak Hills), senior Lindsay Palbykin (Tempe, Ariz. / Corona del Sol), senior Amanda Morford (Baldwin, Kan. / Baldwin) and freshman Taye Patterson (Valdes Monts, Quebec / Philemon Wright) clinched the Missouri victory with a time of 3:28.16. The final score was 157-144.
"I'm proud of this team because they never gave up. Even when we were down, they kept battling. This is a great win for our team," Missouri head coach Brian Hoffer said.
The win marks the fifth-consecutive victory for the Tigers over their archrival, and the second comeback win in as many years. The meet was also the last time the two teams will square off at University Natatorium.
The 1.5 points Missouri picked up in the Border Showdown standings tied the two schools at four points apiece.
The Tigers return to action Saturday, November 6 when they take on the Salukis of Southern Illinois at 3:00 P.M. at University Natatorium.