July 21, 2007
Oklahoma City, Okla. - Many members of the Missouri swimming teams headed to Oklahoma City this week to participate in the Central Section Region VIII Long Course Swimming Championship, which began Wednesday at the Olympic Festival Aquatic Center. The women's team is looking to repeat their winning performance from a year ago, while the men will focus on bettering their third-place finish.
Both the Tiger men and women are well on their way to accomplishing these tasks. The teams have combined for 18 top three finishes, including seven individual golds and one relay gold.
In Wednesday's opening day of action, 2007 NCAA qualifier Clark Bennett was the first to race to gold for the Tigers. Bennett clocked a national cut time of 52.06 to lead the way in the 100 free, an event which featured five Mizzou swimmers in the top eight.
Jake Hoffman repeated Bennett's fortune in the 200 back, which he swam in a time of 2:08.00. Teammate Travis Floyd finished five spots back in a time of 2:12.04.
Columbia's own Carly Sullivan got things started on the women's side when she tallied a third-place finish in the 200 free in a time of 2:05.39. Lori Halvorson nabbed sixth-place honors in a clocking of 2:03.32.
Sullivan, along with teammates Colleen Gordon and Jill Granger, was back in action a few races later in the 800 free. However, it was sophomore standout Gordon highlighting the action as she raced to the win in a time of 8:58.23. Granger, another NCAA-experienced Tiger, took runner-up honors in a time of 9:01.26 with Sullivan clocking in fourth in 9:05.36.
Thursday's finals began with the 200 free and a one-two finish by Mizzou's Max Jaben and Cameron Sellers. Jaben, who owns the meet record in the event, clocked a national cut time of 1:53.05, nearly two seconds ahead of second-place Sellers who finished in 1:55.01. Jaben returned to the pool in the 100 fly later in the day. The Florida transfer's time of 56.78 was good enough for a third-place finish in the race, which also featured five Tigers in the top eight.
The success of Sellers, Jaben and Clark continued into their 400 freestyle relay performance. The three swimmers, along with teammate Bryan Difford, claimed the Tigers' first relay gold of the meet in a national cut time of 3:30.58.
Jill Granger grabbed her second medal of the meet after taking runner-up honors in the 400 individual medley in a time of 5:00.42. Colleen Gordon clocked a 5:05.66 and seventh-place in the race.
Granger and Gordon jumped in the pool again Friday in the 400 free. Granger, unwilling to settle for another second-place performance, touched in for gold in a time of 4:22.21 and just ahead of Gordon, who finished in 4:23.99.
Not to be outdone in the 400 free was fellow Tiger Cameron Sellers, whose winning time of 4:06.06 was more than two seconds faster than his nearest competitor.
Bennett Clark was also in action Friday in the 100 breaststroke. Clark, looking to add a third gold to his meet's collection, raced to a time of 1:07.33 and a second-place finish in the event.
Max Jaben followed up Clark's performance with a runner-up showing of his own. Jaben scored his second-place finish in the 200 fly after posting a time of 2:04.51.
Friday's individual events concluded with the men's 100 back. Travis Floyd earned his first top three finish of the meet after clocking a 59.38. Teammates Byron Carlisle and Jake Hoffman captured fourth- and fifth-place honors, respectively, in the race.
Both Mizzou men's 800 freestyle relay teams and their female counterparts took to the pool Friday in the evening's final event, each climbing out boasting medals. Max Jaben, Matt Dahlke, Travis Floyd and Cameron Sellers, who made up Mizzou's `A' team in the event, picked up the gold after combining for a time of 7:44.97. The Mizzou Swim Team `B', comprised of Bennett Clark, Brad Hubbard, Byron Carlisle and Jake Hoffman, brought home third-place in a clocking of 7:58.61.
The women's 800 free relay squad of Jill Granger, Caroline Bellis, Colleen Gordon and Carly Sullivan captured runner-up honors in the women's portion of the race in a time of 8:33.37.
Action will resume Saturday with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals beginning at 5:30 p.m. You can view all of the live results as they are posted at chesapeakeswimclub.org.
Wednesday's Finals Results
Women 100 LC Freestyle
7. Lori Halvorson, 59.35
Men 100 LC Freestyle
1. Bennett Clark, 52.06
5. Cameron Sellers, 53.44
6. Bryan Difford, 53.49
7. Max Jaben, 53.63
8. Travis Floyd, 53.88
11. Matt Dahlke, 54.17
13. Joe Wiedemeier, 54.45
24. Eric Smith, 55.95
Women 200 LC Breaststroke
4. Erin Yeager, 2:38.79
Women 200 LC Backstroke
10. Sarah Menefee, 2:24.23
Men 200 LC Backstroke
1. Jake Hoffman, 2:08.00
6. Travis Floyd, 2:12.04
12. Byron Carlisle, 2:11.86
Women 800 LC Freestyle
1. Colleen Gordon, 8:58.23
2. Jill Granger, 9:01.26
4. Carly Sullivan, 9:05.36
Thursday's Finals Results
Women 200 LC Freestyle
3. Carly Sullivan, 2:05.39
6. Lori Halvorson, 2:08.32
22. Kirsten David, 2:11.12
Men 200 LC Freestyle
1. Max Jaben, 1:53.05
2. Cameron Sellers, 1:55.01
10. Matt Dahlke, 1:57.27
13. Travis Floyd, 1:58.43
16. Brad Hubbard, 2:00.50
19. Bennett Clark, 1:59.27
20. Brandon Lee, 1:59.36
23. Jake Hoffman, 2:00.29
Women 400 LC Individual Medley
2. Jill Granger, 5:00.42
7. Colleen Gordon, 5:05.66
20. Sarah Menefee, 5:13.47
Men 400 LC Individual Medley
6. Bobby Sundvold, 4:45.88
8. Brandon Lee, 4:50.00
Women 100 LC Butterfly
4. Carly Sullivan, 1:03.40
5. Arica Jacinto, 1:03.76
11. Colleen Gordon, 1:04.45
16. Caroline Bellis, 1:05.86
Men 100 LC Butterfly
3. Max Jaben, 56.78
5. Travis Floyd, 57.58
6. Bryan Difford, 57.79
7. Bennett Clark, 57.85
8. Eric Smith, 58.46
12. Cameron Sellers, 58.46
Women 400 LC Freestyle Relay
7. Mizzou Swim Team `B' (Katie Gates, Jacinto, David, Granger), 4:01.30
Men 400 LC Freestyle Relay
1. Mizzou Swim Team `A' (Difford, Sellers, Jaben, Clark), 3:30.58
6. Mizzou Swim Team `B' (Dahlke, Floyd, Hubbard, Hoffman), 3:37.99
Friday's Finals Results
Women 400 LC Freestyle
1. Jill Granger, 4:22.21
2. Colleen Gordon, 4:23.99
4. Carly Sullivan, 4:26.01
7. Lori Halvorson, 4:34.30
21. Kirsten David, 4:35.38
Men 400 LC Freestyle
1. Cameron Sellers, 4:06.06
8. Brandon Lee, 4:17.95
14. Brad Hubbard, 4:15.98
Women 100 LC Breaststroke
6. Erin Yeager, 1:15.30
Men 100 LC Breaststroke
2. Bennett Clark, 1:07.33
11. Bryan Difford, 1:09.11
12. Brandon Lee, 1:09.24
Women 200 LC Butterfly
7. Carly Sullivan, 2:23.16
9. Jill Granger, 2:21.46
18. Arica Jacinto, 2:24.40
24. Kirsten David, 2:30.96
Men 200 LC Butterfly
2. Max Jaben, 2:04.51
Women 100 LC Backstroke
10. Sarah Menefee, 1:07.11
Men 100 LC Backstroke
3. Travis Floyd, 59.38
4. Byron Carlisle, 59.48
5. Jake Hoffman, 59.91
Women 800 LC Freestyle Relay
2. Mizzou Swim Team `A' (Granger, Bellis, Gordon, Sullivan), 8:33.37
13. Mizzou Swim Team `B' (Jacinto, Menefee, Gates, David), 8:58.07
Men 800 LC Freestyle Relay
1. Mizzou Swim Team `A' (Jaben, Dahlke, Floyd, Sellers), 7:44.97
3. Mizzou Swim Team `B' (Clark, Hubbard, Carlisle, Hoffman), 7:58.61