Tigers Set For Big 12's

Feb. 24, 2009

COLUMBIA, Mo. - For the second time in four years, the Missouri Tigers swimming and diving program welcomes the rest of the Big 12 Conference to the Mizzou Aquatic Center for the 2009 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships. On the women's side, Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Texas A&M will join the Tigers in the pool, while Texas and Texas A&M will compete with Missouri on the men's side. The meet will begin Wednesday, February 25 and run through Saturday, February 28.

WHAT: 2009 Big 12 Championships

WHEN: Wednesday, February 25, through Saturday, February 28

WHERE: Mizzou Aquatics Center - Columbia, Mo.

 

Missouri Men

The Missouri Tigers men's squad was bumped from the recent polls after sitting in the top-25 for most of the season. Mizzou finished their dual season with a 2-5 record, which included a big conference victory over Texas A&M in the first dual of the season.

Junior Martin Cernansky is the team's top breaststroker, while sophomore Jordan Hawley will lead the way for Mizzou in the freestyle sprints. In the diving well, All-American junior Greg DeStephen, sophomore Dante Jones and diver-turned kicker-turned diver Jeff Wolfert will be big factors for the team on both springboards and the platform.

Last year, the Tigers missed out on a second place finish by just three points, getting edged out by Texas A&M on the final race of the weekend. The highest finish ever for the Tigers is third place.

Texas Men

The No. 3 nationally-ranked Texas men enter the Big 12 Championships as the odds-on favorites once again. The Longhorns have won every Big 12 Championship since the inception of the league in 1997, marking 12-straight conference titles. Texas posted a dual record of 5-1 during the season, earning wins over No. 25 Washington, No. 19 SMU, No. 12 Georgia and No. 5 Auburn. Their only loss on the year came against No. 2 Arizona.

Freshman diver Drew Livingston has been named the league's Diver of the Week four times during his inaugural campaign, and is the current conference record-holder in the one-meter dive with a total of 397.65. In the pool, senior Michael Klueh, a mid-distance specialist, was named as the National Men's College Swimmer of the Week earlier this month. Freshman freestylist Jackson Wilcox took that same honor back in January.

Texas A&M Men

The Aggie men dropped all five of their dual meets this season, but matched up well with some impressively-tough competition, battling against Missouri, Penn State, LSU, SMU and Texas, all of which were in the top-25 at some point this season.

Senior diver Eric Sehn looks to complete his illustrious career with three more diving titles. The nine-time Big 12 Champion has won all three diving events at every Big 12 Championship he has competed in. If he sweeps the boards again this year, he will become the first diver in conference history to win all three diving titles each year during a four-year career.

Iowa State Women

The Iowa State Cyclones finished the year with a 6-5 record, their most wins since the 2002-03 season. The team brings in a very solid diving squad, with four of their divers setting new career bests this season. Junior Tien Tran is the team's top diver and will be a major factor on the 3-meter and platform this year. Last year, Tran finished second on the platform at the Big 12's.

The Cyclones also bring back three all-conference swimmers from last season. Senior Marni Benson, junior Abby Glaser and sophomore Anjelica Nixt return to the Big 12's looking to be big factors for Iowa State.

Kansas Women

Kansas enters the Big 12's with an 11-3 dual record and a three-meet winning streak. The Jayhawks went 2-2 on the year against conference opponents, upending Iowa State and Nebraska but falling to Texas A&M and Missouri.

Senior Maria Mayrovich is the team's sprint specialist, while Danielle Herrmann will be a major force in both the freestyle and the breaststroke. Sophomore diver Erin Mertz is the team's top competitor in the diving well.


Missouri Women

The Missouri Tigers have hung around the top-25 rankings all season long, but currently find themselves on the outside at No. 26. After starting off 1-5 in dual meets, the Tigers rallied off four-straight victories to close the season and bring their dual record back to .500.

Senior All-American diver Kendra Melnychuk and freshman Jordan Morcom will certainly be a huge factor for the team on the boards. Last year, Melnychuk became the first conference diving champ in school history after winning the platform. Senior Lori Halvorson will lead the way for Missouri in the freestyle events, while reigning Big 12 Swimmer of the Week Lauren Lavigna is the team's top backstroker.

Last year, the Tigers finished third at the Big 12's.

Nebraska Women

Nebraska finished the season by winning three of their final five duals to bring their season record to 3-4. The Cornhuskers won the first two Big 12 Championships ever, claiming the titles in both 1997 and 1998.

Senior diver Courtney Jolly, who leads all Huskers with 12 wins on the season, will prove to be a factor in the diving well. Junior Mariah Hutchinson leads all Husker swimmers with nine victories, and has finished in the top-10 at the Big 12 Championships six different times.

Texas Women

Like the men, the Longhorn women are currently ranked at No. 3 in the country after boasting a 9-1 dual with big-time victories over No. 4 Arizona, No. 6 Auburn, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 13 Indiana, No. 17 SMU and No. 25 Michigan. Texas won eight-straight Big 12 titles from 1999 to 2006.

The Texas leader is freshman Kathleen Hersey, a 2008 U.S. Olympian who was named the National College Swimmer of the Week earlier this season. At the Texas Invitational in December, Hersey broke five individual school records, two individual conference records, tied a conference record, and swam for two new school record-breaking relay teams and a conference record-breaking relay team as she totaled 11 records over the course of the weekend.

Texas A&M Women

Texas A&M's women's team enters the Big 12 Championships looking to defend their back-to-back titles. The team currently sits at No. 8 in the country after posting a 9-2 dual record during the regular season, recording big victories over No. 15 Penn State and No. 17 SMU.

Leading the Aggies into the pool is senior Triin Aljand, often regarded as the program's greatest swimmer of all-time. Aljand is a 17-time All-American and a six-time Big 12 Champion, and has set conference records in both the 100 free and 100 fly this season. Sophomore Jaele Patrick is the team's top diver, and has twice been named as the league's Diver of the Week.

 

PARKING INFORMATION: Spectators can purchase a parking pass outside of the Virginia Avenue Garage for $3. There will be individuals outside of both the east and west entrances of the garage selling permits. A new permit will need to be purchased each day.

MULTIMEDIA: Big12sports.com, the official website of the Big 12 Conference, will post photos and video highlights after each evening. Fox Sports Net will also have a highlights show for the last two days of competition.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Wednesday, Feb. 25

  • 4:30 p.m. CT: Men's 1M Diving preliminaries

  • 6:00 p.m. CT: 200 Medley Relay, Men's 1M Diving, 800 Freestyle Relay finals

Thursday, Feb. 26

  • 10:00 a.m. CT: 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, 400 Medley Relay preliminaries

  • 1:00 p.m. CT: Women's 1M Diving preliminaries

  • 6:00 p.m. CT: 500 Freestyle, 200 IM, 50 Freestyle, Women's 1M Diving, 400 Medley Relay finals

Friday, Feb. 27

  • 10:00 a.m. CT: 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke preliminaries

  • 10:30 a.m. CT: Men's 3M Diving preliminaries

  • 1:00 p.m. CT: Women's 3M Diving preliminaries

  • 5:00 p.m. CT: Men's 3M Diving finals

  • 6:00 p.m. CT: 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 IM, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, Women's 3M Diving finals

Saturday, Feb. 28

  • 10:00 a.m. CT: 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 400 Freestyle Relay preliminaries

  • 12:30 p.m. CT: Women's Platform Diving preliminaries

  • 3:00 p.m. CT: Men's 3M Diving preliminaries

  • 5:00 p.m. CT: Women's Platform Diving finals

  • 6:00 p.m. CT: 200 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, Men's Platform Diving, 400 Freestyle Relay finals