Feb. 29, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas - The Mizzou women's swimming and diving team (13-1, 3-1 Big 12) pulled ahead of archrival Kansas during the third day of the Big 12 Championships on the strength of strong swims by the squad's seniors and mid-freestylers, in addition to the continued consistency of Kendra Melnychuk. The Tigers hold a six-point lead on the Jayhawks heading into Saturday's final day of action.
Texas A&M remains in the lead with 687 points, followed by Texas (516), Mizzou (338.5), Kansas (332.5), Iowa State (235) and Nebraska (221.
"A number of women really stepped up today," Tiger Head Coach Brian Hoffer said. "Arica, Jill and Taye used their veteran experience to get us going. Lori and Colleen also did an amazing job today in the 200 free, as did Kendra over in the diving well. It's going to be a classic Mizzou-Kansas battle tomorrow. It seems like we do this every year. It's great to have rivalry like this that continues on into the conference meet."
Junior Jill Granger was off to the races first for the Tigers in the preliminaries of the 400 IM. The Midland, Texas, native clocked an NCAA "B" cut time of 4:21.71 to finish fifth overall and advance to the championship final. Seniors Jill Bastien (4:26.01) and Sarah Menefee (4:35.81) each earned spots in the consolation final.
Also punching her ticket to the evening's championship finals was senior Arica Jacinto in the 200 fly. The team co-captain posted a time of 54.93, a "B" standard mark and the second-fastest in school history, to finish seventh overall. Sophomore Molly Bollen and Freshman Melissa Jamerson qualified for consols with times of 56.56 and 57.09, respectively. Bollen's swim was the seventh-fastest ever at Mizzou, while Jamerson's was just .18 off the all-time top-10.
A pair of Tigers raced their way to the `A' final of the 200 free. Junior Lori Halvorson, who broke the school record Wednesday on the leadoff split of the 800 free relay, knocked .09 seconds off her time to break it once more in a time of 1:48.31. Halvorson's record, her third of the meet, was the fifth-fastest time overall. Two spots back was sophomore Colleen Gordon, who clocked a lifetime best time of 1:48.61, currently the second-best mark in school history behind Halvorson. Freshman Francie Szostak also recorded a new personal best in a time of 1:49.36 to earn a spot in consols. All three finishes are "B" standard marks.
Senior Jill Bastien represented the fifth Tiger to swim her way into championship finals on Friday, clocking a time of 1:04.08 to advance in the 100 breast. Teammates Erin Yeager and Morgan McCleery earned spots in consols with times of 1:05.81 and 1:06.57, respectively.
The backstrokers jumped into the pool next. Senior Taye Patterson landed a place in the `A' finals of the 100 back with her eighth overall time of 56.66. Freshman Lauren Lavigna earned the best time of those in the consolation final with her 56.77 finish. Joining her would be juniors Lauren Cox (57.89) and Allie Bennett (58.72).
Following the morning's swimming events were prelims on the 3-meter board. Junior Kendra Melnychuk continued to impress, following up her third-place 1-meter performance from the night before with the third-best score of the afternoon (293.45) to advance to finals.
As the sun began to set across the city of Austin, the Tigers returned to the pool for their third round of finals. Melnychuk was up first for the Tigers on the 3-meter board. The Canadian was on fire in each of her six dives, compiling a total of 336.65 to earn the silver over a 2007 NCAA finalist Longhorn. Melnychuk's score was just four points shy of her school record.
The 200 free relay squad of Patterson, Gordon, Szostak and Halvorson then got things going in the pool, combining for an NCAA "B" cut time of 1:33.42 and a fourth-place finish. The quartet's time was the third fastest in school history.
Granger was up on the blocks next in the 400 IM. The junior shaved more than two seconds off her morning swim to touch in at 4:19.31 for a sixth-place finish. Bastien captured runner-up honors in the consolation final in a time of 4:26.49.
The Tigers found themselves down 24 points to the Jayhawks heading into the following 100 fly. Arica Jacinto took it upon her shoulders to help cut into the deficit, flying to a sixth-place finish in a time of 55.06. Jamerson recorded the seventh-fastest time in Mizzou history (56.46), one-upping Bollen on the all-time list, to finish fourth in consols.
Down only 20 points now, the women headed into the 200 free with some big guns up top, and they did not disappoint. Gordon grabbed a quick start and never looked back, securing a fourth-place finish in a time of 1:48.31. Her time is now tied with the school record set earlier in the day by Halvorson, who finished in the fifth spot (1:48.79). Both Tigers' times are strong "B" standard marks. Szostak improved upon her career best and previous "B" cut time set in the morning's prelims in reaching for the third spot in consols (1:49.10).
After the close of an exciting 200 free, the Tigers had clawed to a four-point lead over the Jayhawks as they entered the 100 breast. Bastien swam a 1:04.50 to finish eighth. In consols, McCleery reached the wall in 1:05.31 to clinch fourth, with Yeager solidifying seventh in a time of 1:06.44
The women's four-point gain had been reversed at the start of the 100 back, but the lead would once again change hands thanks to Patterson. The Val-Des-Monts, Quebec, native gained a spot on her prelim swim, recording a 57.03 to secure seventh. Fellow Canadian Lavigna backed her way to third in consols in a time of 57.18, with Cox touching in just behind in fourth (57.40). Bennett rounded out the `B' final with her time of 58.73.
Saturday's fourth and final day of action begins with swimming prelims at 10 a.m. and diving to follow. Men's platform prelims are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., with the women taking to the tower three hours later. The men head back up the platform for finals at 5 p.m., an hour prior to the beginning of the evening's swimming and women's tower finals. Complete live results will be available on mutigers.com.
SATURDAY'S ORDER OF EVENTS
PRELIMINARIES
10 A.M.
200 Back
100 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
*15-minute break
400 Free Relay
11:30 A.M.
Men's Platform Diving
2:30 P.M.
Women's Platform Diving
FINALS
5 P.M.
Men's Platform Diving
6 P.M.
200 Back
100 Free
1650 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
Women's Platform Diving
400 Free Relay