COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou women's swimming and diving team won five of six events and set two school records as they opened competition at the three day Mizzou Invite Thursday at the Mizzou Aquatic Center. The Tigers lead sit in first place with 397 points after day one. Florida International sits in second with 182, Nebraska third with 176 and West Virginia is in fourth with 164 points. Drury (163), Illinois (151), New Mexico (84), Northern Colorado (41) and UNLV (six) round out the field.
In the final swim of the night, the Tigers smashed the 400 medley relay school record with an NCAA A qualifying time of 3:32.60, bettering the old mark of 3:33.79. Mizzou's foursome of freshman Hannah Stevens, sophomore Katharine Ross, senior Danielle Barbiea and junior Anna Patterson easily finished six seconds faster than the second place team. Additionally, Steven's 100 back leadoff split of 52.04 was just 0.02 off the Tigers' school mark in the event and stands as the fastest time in the nation this season.
Mizzou opened the finals session with a win in the 200 free relay, as the quartet of freshman Rachel Hayden, Barbiea, Stevens and Patterson clocked an NCAA A cutg time of 1:29.64 for the win. The time was also the third-fastest time in program history.
Junior Lauren Reedy claimed top honors on 3-meter with a personal best score of 358.65. The tally was 13 points higher than her old best and puts her second all-time at Mizzou in the event.
Sophomore Katharine Ross had a great swim in the 200 IM, as she dropped two seconds off her personal best to win the event in 1:58.27. Her time puts her second all-time at Mizzou in the event. Junior Abby Duncan also went a career best in the 200 IM with a second-place finish in 1:59.50, which ranks fourth in Tiger history.
Hayden added an individual win of her own as she claimed top honors in the 50 free. The freshman touched the wall in 22.67, a time that ranks fifth in Mizzou program history. In prelims, Barbiea swam a personal best 22.35 and Patterson notched a time of 22.74.
In the 500 free, freshman Kira Zubar finished second overall after a finals time of 4:49.20, while sophomore Brittany Hammond was sixth with a personal best 4:52.44. In prelims, Zubar swam a 4:48.95 to move into sixth all-time at Mizzou, just ahead of classmate Sharli Brady's 4:49.09, a time that ranks seventh in program history.
Day two action at the Mizzou Invite continues on Friday, Nov. 21 with preliminary action at 10 a.m. and the finals session at 6 p.m.