Tyler Belanger set the pool record in the men's 50 free with a time of 22.75.Tyler Belanger set the pool record in the men's 50 free with a time of 22.75.
Swimming & Diving

Tiger Alumni Make History As Mizzou Aquatics Center Opens Its Doors

Sept. 24, 2005

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The doors of the brand-new Mizzou Aquatics Center officially opened Saturday morning, as the Missouri swimming and diving teams welcomed back over 100 former Tigers for its annual alumni meet. The event marked the commencement of the 40th season of swimming and diving at the university.

Since the alumni meet was the first-ever event in the MAC, the participants had the unique opportunity to set pool records. Bernie Hereth became the first winner and first record-holder in the building's history when she took first in the women's 200 free with a time of 2:18.18. Dustin McKnight followed that performance by setting the pool record in the men's 200 free with a 1:56.34.

Molly Vetter-Smith (1:01.85) and Peter Willett (52.12) claimed the pool records in the women's and men's 100 free, respectively, while Belinda Wood (28.14) and Radu Miclaus (23.90) set the standards in the women's and men's 50 fly.

2004-05 team members Amanda Morford (29.17) and Jacob Thomas (26.75) set the pool records in the women's and men's 50 back, and Thomas would later go on to set the high mark in the 50 breast. Tiffany Bohon clocked in at 32.73 in the women's 50 breast, giving her the MAC pool record in the event.

Andrea Nigh and Tyler Belanger put their names in the record books in the 50 free, with times of 25.39 and 22.75, respectively, before Bohon added a second record to her credit in the women's 100 IM (1:06.31). Former Mizzou standout Matt North earned the men's 100 IM record with a time of 54.14.

"I'm really happy that this many alumni came out to support the program and swim in our new pool," Mizzou head coach Brian Hoffer said. "We had swimmers and divers from five decades in the water today, and it was fun to see everybody out there."

The Tigers will be in action again on Oct. 8, when they will swim their annual Black and Gold intrasquad meet in the MAC. The meet starts at 10 a.m. and admission is free. For all the latest on Mizzou swimming and diving, visit mutigers.com, the official website of the University of Missouri Department of Athletics.